Falling Into Love
by T-drift
Summary: They say it's a river that circles the Earth. A beam of light shining to the edge of the universe; it conquers all, but it's a mystery. - A story of Love, friendship and regret.
1. Chapter 1

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

**A/n**: The events in this story are supposed to transpire before the tournament of King of Iron Fist 6, though I'm not sure I'd even involve the tournament itself. Let's just say, having Jin own so much already and him being the one to announce the sixth tournament, I figured he'd host some kind of hotel (next to military bases and the like) that the fighters/participants would live in for a few days or weeks or more, till the day of/end of the tournament. Aside from that we all know how Jin's taken over the Mishima Zaibatsu and gaining control of the world, so you imagine the rest.

So, yeah this base would have pools, workout gyms, bars etc, etc. And of course, not too far from civilization, thus shopping malls and places like that would be close by. Oh and, before I forget – if you detect any OOC-ness (which I hope you won't), I'm sorry about that. I'll try to grasp their personalities as best I can.

This story involves one original character, who will be the main.

Anyway, on with the first chapter! Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the Tekken characters. And the title of this fic is based on Dana Glover's song "Falling into love".

* * *

_It had started raining when they had reached Lilystone Park, his hand firmly holding on to hers in the midst of smoke and fire, in the midst of war below the cloudy, grey skies. She had started slowing down, cutting down his speed as she did so, her crying voice seeking a wake-up call from what seemed like a nightmare, from what felt like Doomsday where no refuge on Earth would aid._

_He stopped upon her crying, from which the sound pierced his heart to shivers, and the feeling of protectiveness overtook him when he turned around and saw her fragile state. He took her in his arms, holding her as close as he could, one armor-gloved hand shielding the back of her head: he noticed how she tried to hold in her tears, to be brave, but her shaking body in his arms gave away her crying. Looking straight ahead, he saw the rain was getting heavier, the wind picking up its pace as it pulled the orange flames of fire with it in a swirling dance. He heard the guns firing, the loud bangs and shrieks and rapid footsteps, and saw scattered dead bodies and the never-ending robots; chaos was followed up by more troops. He saw how the darkness of this day kept spreading relentlessly, and without mercy._

_He looked up to gaze at the sky for a short moment, the love of his life still frightened like a lost child in his arms, ready to give up. He nuzzled closer to her ear, caressed her hair and spoke to her with a firm, but gentle voice, "Weep not, for tomorrow is yet to come." He heard her sobbing as she tightened her hold around his waist, her cold body shivering from fear. "Hold fast your faith, for it is your light in the darkest of hours." The chains holding up the big swing made loud clanging noises from the strong wind as they hit the iron pillars of support, and the rain lashed in every direction, "Worry not, for what lies ahead remains untold."_

_She closed her eyes, and repeated his words in her heart, his firm voice repeating itself like a song on replay in her sub consciousness, giving her the courage she never knew she possessed. And she said a prayer and held on to him as tight as she could manage, afraid he would disappear if she didn't cling strong enough._

_But when a shot down robotic machine suddenly flew across them and crashed to the ground with a deafening sound, her heart skipped a beat and started racing from fear again, and she screamed at the scene in front of her._

_"No, I can't-can't _do-this! _I can't-do-this-I… can't!_"_ her shaky voice gave way to hyperventilation, and she clung to him tighter than he thought was humanly possible._

_"There's nothing to fear, Sarah. Look at me." He cupped her face and saw her pale lips trembling, not so much from the cold winds and heavy rain as from this dark day. He gazed into her chocolate-brown eyes with sincerity._

_"I'm right beside you." Her streaming tears drowned in the falling rain, her body shaking as she put her hand on the protruding emblem on his chest that adorned his armor. _

_"Tomorrow, Sarah. Tomorrow is yet to come."_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"You know, I… you know I never noticed," Asuka Kazama burst out in giggles and fits of laughter in-between sentences, her arms hung around the blond's neck.

"I never noticed… _noticed,_" another giggle on the way, a choke on the last word emphasising how drunk she really was.

"You're pretty good-lo… _looking,_" she almost tripped on his feet and took advantage of that situation in which to lean closer to him. Her face was barely an inch away from his at this stage, her smile seeming to want nothing more than to seduce him.

The cosy bar, owned by Kazama Jin, was not too crowded but familiar faces could be seen at tables or by the counter. Others were dancing to a distant melody playing from the jukebox. Evidently, Asuka's poor excuse for a dance seemed, to the few on-lookers, like nothing more than an attempt to get some sort of response from Steve. She was, simply put, hammered.

_Too much sake, maybe._ _I'm surprised she even remembers my name from the last tournament._

This was not a situation Steve wanted to be in. Not only was Jin probably watching every movement another man made around his younger relative, but Steve feared a certain someone would walk in and catch him with this woman. This certain someone happened to be Asuka's friend. And Asuka was now not only clinging to him with a lustful look on her face, but she was also wearing a black dress which revealed a bit too much skin – it definitely wasn't a situation he wanted to be caught in. It also didn't help Asuka actually managed to place her left leg behind his right one.

_Right._ _Kazama's probably on his way over as I'm thinking this. I need to do something._

"You're drunk. I don't think Jin's going to like this, Asuka. Let's just-"

"Kiss me, Steve." As Asuka leaned in to give Steve a peck on the lips he backed away instantly, trying not to let her trip and fall in the process. A firm grip by her shoulders steadied her from an embarrassing fall. Her slender legs wobbled left and right a few times before holding still - an obvious result of high heels and too much alcohol in one go.

"Okay so, she's either hammered, or she's unusually bold tonight and actually likes the guy." Water bottle in hand, the red-haired Korean spoke with sincerity. He eyed the Japanese man standing next to him as he took another gulp of water, waiting for a certain reaction, _Kazama_ _style_.

"Hwoarang, she's obviously drunk. I'm going to escort her to her room. It's pretty late anyway," said Jin, evaluating the situation.

"Oh? Whatever happened to the 'he'll pay for messing with Asuka' line you always pull, who _by the way_ is old enough to date already? You're _way_ too overprotective." Hwoarang said almost provokingly with a slight grin on his face.

As Jin was about to out-wit that retort, he saw a familiar woman walk into the bar with a smile on her face. She wore a knee-length, sleeveless navy-blue dress that elegantly embraced her figure. Funny enough, she wore no shoes whatsoever. Her very dark-brown, elbow-length hair was set loose on her right shoulder.

"This is what I feared." Jin said quietly, his words audible only to Hwoarang.

"What?" Hwoarang, not understanding what Jin was on about, followed the latter's gaze and saw a woman walk into the bar. He then looked in the direction the woman was looking. He put two and two together.

"Oh. Right. Shit. Here we go." Hwoarang and Jin eyed their friend stopping dead in her tracks a few feet from where Steve and Asuka were standing, her a-second-ago-radiant smile slowly fading.

As unsteady and drunk as she was, Asuka still managed to steal a hug from Steve, her giggles almost that of a little girl.

"Why don't you sit down for a while, Asuka?" He tried to release the woman's grip from him, when suddenly she looked up and without warning pressed her lips against his.

As Steve was about to push her away, he reflexively looked up – and he instantly wished he hadn't. There stood the woman he, for once, had felt a genuine chemistry with these past few days. The two of them had mostly just been bumping into eachother at first, ending up talking about all sorts of things till they started meeting for breakfast every morning. However, there was definitely something more emerging between them. And for once, Steve found unexplainable meaning and content in the gaze of those pretty chocolate-brown eyes of hers.

He took this woman's emotions seriously, and his current situation didn't exactly justify that loyalty by glance.

As Steve realised his eyes were widening and his mind was set into a totally blank state, he saw the faint smile on the woman's full, red lips disappearing - an expression of hurt clear on her beautiful face.

The teasing black dress. The bare legs. His steady embrace. Their closeness.

_Her lustful look_...

"What…" barely a whisper escaped the woman's lips yet the word was still audible to Steve. The expression unmistakable.

Asuka, not being aware of the situation she was in, let go of Steve and turned around only to smile at the woman behind her.

"Oh, hey _Sass_." Asuka kept on smiling and merely looked at her friend.

"Sarah." Steve managed to say the woman's name as she retreated a step backward. After eyeing Steve and Asuka, Sarah looked down at the red carpet she was standing on, her heart pounding.

_Racing_

Not knowing what she was feeling or what to say or do, she looked away. Suddenly trembling with this new feeling inside of her, she turned around and ran a hand through her loose hair, the other one resting firmly on her hip.

_Why does it hurt? She's my close friend. If she wants… if they… I shouldn't. Am I being selfish?_

As Sarah was about to take her first step of leaving the bar, a hand caught hers from behind. The most comforting voice reached her ears, her name spoken in that charming British accent she'd fallen in love with the first time she had met him.

"Sarah, please. Don't walk away like this. It's not what it seems, I…" Steve hesitated for a moment.

"I don't know what you're talking about, you don't have to explain yourself to—" She was quickly interrupted by him.

"Yes I do need to explain myself. Sarah, you're trembling…" A humble whisper. A gentle squeeze of the hand.

_That charming voice._

"Please, hear me out. I was trying to-" Another voice joined in and cut off Steve mid-sentence.

"Maybe you should just back the hell off, Fox." Jin could barely keep his anger under control as he blocked an arm between Steve and Sarah. He did control his frustration though, in respect to avoiding an unnecessary scene at the bar.

Sarah was one of his closest friends; Asuka was like the sister he never had. Protecting them was always a priority to him, but a difficult one at that. And he was well aware he could be too overprotective of them sometimes. But then again, when it involved guys, Jin knew better than to think he meddled too much.

Steve and Jin weren't close friends, but they were well on their way (blame Hwoarang for that). However close they might be as friends though, Jin didn't excuse any bad behaviour from Steve toward Sarah. In addition to that, it didn't make it easier to handle the Brit considering Jin's recent learning of Sarah harbouring some sort of feelings toward the boxer; he'd been observing her.

"Asuka, what do you think you're doing, getting drunk like this. Easy now, take a seat why don't you, before you fall over." Hwoarang tried to lead her to a vacant seat, but it was in vain. She was persistent to see Steve, it seemed.

"Where did Steve go?" Asuka whined a few feet away from where Jin, Steve and Sarah were standing, her view blocked by Hwoarang.

Sarah turned around and looked toward her close friend next to Hwoarang, and shifted her gaze, unwillingly, to Steve. They locked gazes for what seemed like an eternity to Sarah. She felt butterflies in her stomach, a blush dusting her cheeks, his crystal-blue orbs enchanting.

_If I am dreaming, please, let me never awake._

Time seemed to have stopped, her surroundings seeming to go by in slow motion.

The look on his face showed a thoughtful side of him. A determined side.

_A humble side_…

_Was it jealousy that clawed at my heart just now?_

A tightening lump forming in her throat snapped her mind back to reality. Sarah immediately escaped Steve's grip on her hand and turned around, walking briskly out of the bar.

_Jealousy, or… _

… _am I falling into love?_

* * *

**A/n**: I hope this chapter piqued your interest for this story~ Don't be shy to review, it helps me grow as a writer~


	2. Chapter 2

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

**A/n:** _Attention!_ This chapter contains Swedish letters so mind the coding before you start reading, yes? I've referred the words in Swedish to numbers, so if you're interested in the translation, you'll find it below the **author's notes **at the end.

Anyway, on with the story! ;)

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Her heart was racing too fast for her liking. Breathing had become a struggle, not only in favor of fright but also in favor of anger. Sarah was frustrated with herself; how could she allow herself to fall in love again? She had promised herself to be more careful, if ever to even be startled by such feelings again. She didn't need love. Why would Steve be any different – granted, he had only made her happy since they'd met.

_Nothing but happy, if you will._

However, given her history of not-too-successful relationships Sarah knew better than to fall for someone as fast. What made things worse for her was she had unwillingly fallen for someone else four days prior, and confusion was presently consuming her.

_Am I really in love with Steve? And then there's _him… _I'm trapped in such a dilemma. I don't think I even know what love is anymore!_

She walked up the stairs, turned left and kept walking briskly through the long hall where the dorms were. Her mind was trying to justify what she'd seen in the bar moments ago, while her sub consciousness tried its best to sort out the reasons behind her mixed-up feelings.

Reaching for the door to her room as she unlocked it, Sarah went inside to get ready for bed and drown her sorrows in the realm of dreams.

As she turned around to close and lock the door after her, the door was held in place by an equal force of hers and wouldn't budge. Startled, she quickly backed away a few steps, hands on her chest, only to look up and see a hand, following up to whom it belonged.

"Lars! You gave me a fright."

_Him._

She turned around and headed for the mini-fridge for a water bottle. She felt like her face was still flushed and Lars didn't make things better. Was it just her or was it the temperature in the room that was too hot for her liking?

"Du gråter. [1]" Said Lars Alexandersson, still standing with his hand on the door, observing her every move. Lars was someone she'd bonded with really well during her stay for the tournament, mostly for their shared past nationalities and thus common past interests and upbringing. They conversed in Swedish, mostly when they were alone, as it was more convenient and they could talk about anything they wanted without having to worry someone would overhear "secrets". It was a special bond they had, most certainly.

However, a few days prior she'd confirmed to herself she had other sorts of feelings toward Lars, other than friendship. She tried very hard not to think of him that way, because, well, there was Steve. But to no avail; she was now stuck in a dilemma where she realized she was unfairly leading two men on. This had somehow seemed to be railed on unwillingly.

Lars had a serious face on while she, on the other hand, was trying to avoid locking gazes with him by concentrating on the water bottle she was drinking from. She really wasn't in the mood to talk about what she herself did not understand at the moment.

The handsome Swede stepped inside and closed the door behind him without turning around to do so, his gaze still fixed on the woman in front of him.

After a few gulps Sarah gently put down the water bottle on the small table in front of her, her eyes fixed on the bottle, hands on her hips.

"Allergies." She looked at him "Look, Lars I'm really tired. I think I'll just hit the sack, call it a night. I'm feeling a bit dizzy." She walked over to the queen-sized bed and turned on the bedside lamp. As she sat with her back facing Lars, she started taking off her earrings and bracelets.

The room was silent yet the air was uptight and downright uncomfortable.

"You know, you never were a good liar. I'm not leaving unless you tell me who's been stirring your emotions like this." He walked up to her, sat by her side and faced her left side.

"Titta på mig, Sarah. [2]" He gently placed his forefinger under her chin and turned her face toward him. Her eyes shone brightly from tears and he could clearly tell she struggled to hold them in. She stared at him without blinking her tired eyes.

"Inte första gången jag ser dig så upprörd och ledsen. Vad är det som händer? [3]" His voice was so gentle she felt like she was being lulled to sleep. Sarah leaned in, and as her face was only an inch away from his, as tempting as he looked, she turned her head away and rested it on his shoulder. What was she supposed to tell him? She didn't _know_ what was happening.

"Snälla, håll om mig, Lars. [4]" He embraced her in silence like she asked, and said no more. After a minute had passed of tranquil silence, Lars felt something warm on his shoulder and knew she was crying. The choked sobs, every now and then, gave what little doubt he had of that away.

"Hey, it's alright. Get some sleep and you'll feel better in the morning, hmm? Go ahead, Sarah." He gave her a tight hug before pulling away. She slowly opened her eyes and took his hand in hers.

"Tack, Lars. Go'natt. [5]" A whisper in his ear followed up by a kiss on the cheek as she made her way to the bathroom. He faintly smiled as he stood up and made his way to the door. Glancing back before leaving the room, Lars wondered what was happening with her. She'd been acting weird the entire week prior, and this was the second time he'd seen her in upsetting tears.

He sighed as he left and closed the door behind him.

* * *

"How is she?" Hands in pockets, Jin casually strolled down the hall toward Lars. The latter turned away from the door to Sarah's room.

"She's… I don't think she's okay at all, Kazama. I advised her to get some sleep for now." Lars turned his gaze from the carpeted floor to meet Jin's eyes; the Japanese male appeared calm and collected yet his eyes seemed to tell a story of concern. Silence ensued, as no opinion was meeting Lars' statement from Jin.

"Kazama?" Lars found the silence between them awkward. He waited for the other to say something.

"The two of you… you've gotten really close lately, haven't you?" Still as calm as ever. No expression whatsoever.

"Well… we have a lot in common, but I don't really know as much about her as I'd like. We've talked a few times and had a few dinners. Nothing more…?" Lars shot Jin a questionable look as he tried to decipher what the latter was implying by his question.

"You should know I adore her more than anything I know in this world. I don't think it is right for me to pry and choose her friends and boyfriends, but I'm always watching out for her. So remember that." Jin didn't even blink as he spoke of serious words, casting Lars an aura of solid presence.

"I've seen the way you are together, but I didn't think you guys had that strong of a bond. Though, she does talk about you a lot; she admires you in every way." Lars couldn't help but smile at that: Sarah seemed to simply enjoy talking about Jin. Lars looked away from Jin and put his hands in his pockets as he sighed.

"I'm going to go check on her before I leave. I'll see you tomorrow at my office." With that said Jin walked past Lars and stopped at Sarah's door as he knocked and waited. Lars bid a simple "goodnight" and left for his own room.

* * *

_Was that a knock on my door?_

Sarah hurried out of the shower and headed for the door even as she was wrapping the towel around her body. She opened the door slightly and took a peek.

"Jin… " Her gaze softened and she looked down at the floor, not knowing what to say after the incident at the bar.

"I realize you might feel embarrassed somehow and you probably want to sleep on it and figure out a way to digest what's going on around you, but will you please let me in so I can at least give you a hug?" The tone of his voice was that of a concerned one, and he didn't move from where he was standing as he waited for an answer.

Sarah hesitated but ultimately opened the door as a motion for him to come inside. She walked over to the bed and sat there, head facing down.

Jin closed the door behind him and walked over to where she was sitting and knelt in front of her.

"You're stuck in the middle, aren't you? They're giving you mixed messages, and you want a way out of this maze? Whenever did you stop believing I have time for you when you need someone to talk to?" He took her hands in his and spoke with the gentlest voice.

"I never stopped believing, Jin. I just… I don't want to be a burden you should need to deal with, when you now have to work full time what with your new position." She sounded too sad for Jin's liking; it pinched his heart to see her like that.

"No… hey, I understand where you're coming from but I always have time for you, Sarah. Always, alright? Don't ever think otherwise. I realize we don't see each other as often as before, but whenever you need anything just come over to my office or the den. If I'm not there, ask for me and my assistants will help you the best they can. Promise me you won't shut me out." He cupped her face as she put her hands on his, looking straight into his beautiful brown eyes.

"_Anata_… I have a confession to make." She felt a lump form in her throat as she spoke.

"Tell me." He said with a gentle tone.

"Jin, I… I miss you so much sometimes. I get this really lonely feeling inside every now and then, and it makes me think of you. Sometimes I miss you like crazy, and that really hurts. I shouldn't be saying this to you now, I know I'm being unfair and all. I'm fully aware that we're only friends now, don't worry. But a part of me still wants you to know this. A part of me still wan…" She played with one of his bangs as she rested her other hand on his outstretched arm, reluctant to finish her naïve sentence.

He looked straight into her eyes, but remained silent. He appeared to be digesting what he'd briefly heard; seeming to be thinking of a way to best handle the sudden surprise.

Leaning forward she put her forehead to his, looking straight into his eyes. He didn't blink once as he rested his hands to the sides of her, on the bed. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she spoke.

"You're silent. Won't you say something to me?" She whispered ever so vaguely and remained as close as she was.

_I wish I'd never left you. I wish you'd still be mine, still my one and only._

Their closeness became too tempting for her and she dared give him a peck on the lips. He withdrew as he gently held her by her chin.

"To be completely honest, I do miss you very much, Sarah. I won't lie to you; every night before I drift to sleep I wonder why it all went wrong back then. I never chose to leave you, yet I won't claim the circumstances back then can justify my being the victim in all of this. I still love you, deeply, and I'll probably never get over you." A tear slid down her cheek as she listened to his sincere words.

"You're a very special person to me, but Sarah, you can't do this anymore. I'm involved and you know this." Sarah closed her eyes and tried her best not to shed any more tears.

Sometimes, she hated how she envied Xiaoyu tremendously for every time the Chinese girl would tell Sarah about an amazing day or night with Jin. The sadness following those conversations usually squeezed Sarah's heart to the extent of her wanting to throw up.

"I know that, _I do_…" A whisper and another unstoppable tear rolled down.

"Come here." Jin drew her closer by her waist and hugged her tightly. He could feel her racing heart hammering against her chest, her sobs in short intervals as she held onto him with all her might.

"You're going to be all right, sweetheart, _daijobu_." An effort to calm her down as he caressed her back gently. A stroke of light from the moon illuminated the semi-dark bedroom.

_I love you so much. So dearly._

Jin felt her nodding in agreement as she let go of him and backed away to face him.

"Jin, don't worry about me. I'll manage in the end. I promise to come see you when I need someone, thank you." An attempt of a reassuring smile to bid Jin a good night, but he knew better than to be sure of anything at the moment.

"Come see me tomorrow after eight and we'll do something together, how does that sound?" He flashed her the most handsome, rare Kazama smile she had ever seen, which surprisingly made her blush.

"That sounds great, Jin." She put a hand to her lips and giggled; he chuckled.

"Sweet dreams, _hime_." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and she did the same as she took the opportunity to inhale his vague scent of cologne she loved so much. He rose to his feet and turned around to leave. Sarah sat on the bed and watched Jin's retreating figure until she heard the _click_ of the door lock. A heavy sigh and she got up and headed for the bathroom to finish her showering.

* * *

**A/n:** I'm hoping you don't find it too annoying (but rather interesting) that some phrases are in Swedish. I find it quite cute that characters can converse in their native tongue sometimes, in fictional stories. And these are merely phrases and sentences - I'm trying to include them in a way so that you won't have to understand the sentence in order to understand the concept in a whole, if you know what I mean. But I've translated the words/sentences anyway, in case you're interested; if words in any other laguage than English has been used, the translations are always at the end of the chapter, below the author's notes. All in all, this is the first _Swedish_ character included in the Tekken series, so I thought this would make for a different kind of story (to include something in Swedish).

Anyway, tell me your thoughts and see you next time ;)

* * *

**Translation from Swedish to English**

1 – _Du gråter_ -"You're crying"

2 – _Titta på mig_ – "Look at me"

3 – _Inte första gången jag ser dig så upprörd och ledsen. __Vad_ _är det som händer?_ – "This isn't the first time I've seen you so upset and sad. What's going on?"

4 – _Snälla, håll om mig, Lars_ – "Please, hold me, Lars"

5 – _Tack, Lars. Go'natt _– "Thank you, Lars. 'night"

**Japanese words used**

_Daijobu_ - it's alright,

_hime_ - princess


	3. Chapter 3

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

**A/n**: Thank you everyone for the reviews! I appreciate them all; please don't hesitate to give advice and such, I'd love to learn anything I might have missed! ;)

Also, I've been really busy with uni and haven't had any time at all to contribute to writing, which I feel is a bit unfair to those who've decided to follow up on this story. But I will update from time to time, even if it takes a while to do so.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"Wakey, wakey sleepyhead," said Xiaoyu, sitting at Sarah's bedside. The Chinese girl had a smile on her face as she gently shook the shoulder of the sleeping woman.

"Easy, Xiao." Julia Chang, another one of Sarah's good friends and tournament participant motioned for Xiaoyu to calm down. Sarah never missed breakfast with her girl friends on Fridays, and Julia had a good idea of the reason as to why Sarah failed to attend this particular Friday.

The two girls had decided to check on their now sleeping friend after having waited for her downstairs for over 30 minutes. A firmer decision to check on their friend enveloped them as they had bumped into Jin Kazama on their way to the dorms. He'd politely asked them to keep an eye out for Sarah and let him know of any major changes in her attitude and through her other daily routines.

Julia had slightly frowned at that statement whilst Xiaoyu had immediately recalled her conversation with Jin the night before; mainly about the incident at the bar and how emotionally drained Sarah had been the past week. Jin had told his fiancée mostly everything, including his opinions on the matter. Xiaoyu had received one surprise after the other.

The Chinese girl had never suspected there was something going on between her friend and Steve, even though she'd seen them together at times. What surprised Xiaoyu the most though was Jin's newsflash of Sarah's feelings toward Jin's friend and Tekken Force officer Lars Alexandersson. Xiaoyu did not know Lars on a personal level, only very shallowly as he was one of the closest people to Jin in trust and friendship.

Save for the Swede's handsome looks, and what Jin had told her about how brilliant Lars was not only in fighting but by his strategic mastermind on the battlefield, Xiaoyu didn't really know much about him. And she had never bothered Jin much about it either.

Xiaoyu never told her closest friends everything she and Jin talked about, of course, but she had wanted to fill Julia in on the important details of the news after breakfast, when Sarah would be on her way to practice. The opportunity was obviously lost when Sarah had not showed up and the girls decided to go see if she was still at the dorms. Hence, they were presently in their friend's dorm room checking up on her.

"I missed breakfast, I know, sorry." A muffled reply came from their sleeping friend, her eyes still closed. Sarah slowly opened them and sighed as she stared at the ceiling.

"What's up, Sassy? You never miss Fridays, is something the matter?" Julia walked over to the other side of the bed and sat on the chair next to Xiaoyu; the latter still sitting on the bedside, facing Sarah. Julia checked her friend for a fever as Sarah gently brushed her friend's hand away.

"I'm not sick, Jules, don't worry about that. I just…" Confusion was mercilessly eating at Sarah and she trailed off sighing, again.

"Oh you're sick alright. Jules, I think she's got 'em." Said Xiaoyu to her Native American friend with a huge grin plastered on her face. Julia shifted her gaze from Sarah to Xiaoyu.

"Got what?" Either Julia was purposely dense about the matter or she basically wanted Xiaoyu to bluntly state the obvious already in order to make Sarah talk about her feelings. Xiaoyu's grin got wider and she looked straight at Sarah, who looked confused.

"Them butterflies, of course! Sarah's _love _sick, that's what's going on." Sarah's eyes grew wider ever so slightly as she reflexively turned her attention at Julia who had started giggling, with the biggest grin Sarah had ever seen.

"Yeah, Sarah we've had suspicions long enough now. Pass on the juicy details, please. Who is he and why are you hiding in your room, _hm?_" Xiaoyu desperately hoped she wasn't being too blunt with her friend on the matter, as Xiaoyu feared she might upset Sarah more than she needed at this time. However, she figured being cheery might be the key to get her friend to at least relax.

"Spill the beans, baby." Julia had an almost musical tone to her voice and spoke of interest.

"Love sick? _Me_?" The room went silent for a few seconds as Sarah deliberately burst out chuckling before speaking again.

"Wherever did you get your suspicions from? I hope not from Hwoarang, Julia. I am _not_ love sick darlings, I can tell you that much. And I am certainly not hiding." That said, the two friends looked at each other and nodded agreement.

"Oh no, don't you _dare_! I promise you, if you as much as—" Her sentence was interrupted by the intense ticklish feeling, and before Sarah knew it she was struggling to breathe in-between the laughs and the tossing and turning.

"White flag! _White_ _flag_! Okay, _okay_ I give up!" Sarah shouted, unable to stop her laughing as she desperately tried swinging a pillow at her friends. The two merciless girls decided to give Sarah a chance to let them in on what was going on and immediately stopped tickling her.

Sarah giggled and took a deep breath as she sighed, calming down as she hugged the pillow she'd held on to.

"Seriously now Sass, we're not aliens and we're not bull-headed men. We happen to be your close friends; don't you think we'd notice if you had love problems? And you ought to know you can trust us." Julia had a sincere, warm tone to her words and smiled genuinely at her friend.

"Precisely, babe. Tell us about it." Xiaoyu cut in, looking as serious as Sarah had ever seen her before.

Sarah hesitated for a few seconds, the silence not breaking her friends' interest whatsoever as she finally sighed for the umpteenth time. She started from the beginning, unraveling the story to her closest friends about how she'd started hanging out with Steve and how at the same time Lars had blurred into her world; "it all happened in one single _go_", she told her friends who were focusing on Sarah's words intently. She told them about how quickly she had related to Lars and likewise him to her; about how much she enjoyed spending the few short moments she could have with him.

She went on, as sincerely as she'd ever spoken with her friends before, saying how the fact that Lars chose to always address and talk with her in Swedish when they were alone together made her heart skip a beat every single time. How when he flashed a smile or treated her like no man had ever treated her before, it had startled her safe haven into crashing waves of another world, another adventure she felt compelled and mesmerized to explore.

Equally, Steve and Lars were the ends of opposite poles of the compass and she had trouble finding her way through the mist.

Julia and Xiaoyu were slightly surprised and they seemed to have questions to ask. Nonetheless they waited for Sarah to continue.

"Jin knows most of this already, not that I've said anything to him about it mind you, but he saw right through me since day one, it seems. I'll let you in on one such occasion. You see one day Lars, Jin and I were at Jin's office and Jin and I were talking about the upcoming tournament whilst Lars was sitting close by reading a book on something.

By the way have I told you how formal Lars is toward me when in Jin's presence? Very formal; makes me wonder if Jin knows Lars and I have actually had conversations on a more personal level…" Sarah had a distant look in her eyes as she paused, thinking.

"But anyway, not long after Jin and I had just started conversing Jin started grinning like the most evil Grinch you could ever imagine. As I learned from him later on, Jin apparently had started noticing how different I, much to my oblivion, had started acting when Lars was around.

He simply sat there at his luxurious desk grinning at me, and as soon as I noticed where his eyes shifted, which was where Lars was sitting, before they quickly turned back to looking at me (as if to motion to what he was implying by the grinning) that _Kazama_ made me blush like no tomorrow: made me feel like a love-sick, junior high school girl. I just wanted to flee the room or literally be shot on sight. It was really embarrassing." Sarah continued and abruptly stopped as Julia cut in.

"Well, you're certainly blushing _now_, sweetheart." Julia said and laughed as she lightly punched Sarah's shoulder before narrowing down the laughter to a stifled chuckle.

Sarah playfully stuck out her tongue at her friend and looked down at her pillow.

"So… upon shifting my gaze to Lars at that moment, he suspiciously looked up from the book he was reading as he probably noticed the sudden silence in the room: Jin and I had been conversing non-stop until Jin stopped paying attention to what I was saying and started grinning. After taking a quick glance at Jin, Lars looked at me and kept staring at me and I don't know what the heck got into me when he did; before I knew it I was out the door, passing the guards outside and trying to breathe in the fresh air." Sarah said and smiled, remembering the intense gaze from Lars that had done nothing more than send jolts through her body; she remembered how she had lost her appetite for the rest of the day due to that incident.

Later that same day she had been told by her physician that too many emotions at once "_like those you have when you're very much in love_" could very well be the source to her loss of appetite: _that_ however, she did not want to mention to her overly-suspicious friends.

"I so wanted to _literally_ slaughter Jin for putting me in that position that afternoon. Lucky for him I was in a good mood when he visited me at the dorms the next day. That sadistic Kazama knocked on my door, and as I come answering it he's leaning casually against the doorframe, _still _grinning! He walks in and bluntly tells me he knows I'm attracted to his friend and that it's no use in my denying it. He said it so matter-of-factly it was like I had no say in it at all." Sarah narrowed her eyes at her Chinese friend's following outburst.

Xiaoyu fell down on the bed rolling with laughter at her fiancé's antics. _He sure could be so cute when he got silly like that_! She was tempted to ask Jin about that incident later on.

"Xiao, it's not funny! It was really embarrassing, you know." Sarah resisted the urge to kick her laughing friend off the bed. Xiaoyu's laughter turned to giggles as she turned to her side supporting herself on her left elbow, facing Sarah.

"It's only embarrassing for you 'cause your attraction to the guy is obviously deeper than your ogling him 24/7 on the battlefield, or during his meetings with Jin which you strangely enough attend sometimes," Xiaoyu stated matter-of-factly.

"Ogling? _Ogling_, Xiao? I do _not _ogle. And I am allowed to attend their meetings sometimes only 'cause Jin doesn't consider me a threat to whatever it is they discuss. Although, I've seen how Nina observes me sometimes; remind me again why Jin chose Nina as his bodyguard, Xiao? Anyway, it's not like I attend them because I want to see Lars, it's just intriguing to hear them discuss strategy: it's just so… _sexy_," said Sarah grinning at her friends.

"You ogle, I've seen you! So have Jin, and him and I sometimes make bets on situations you're in. He loves making wagers. There, now you know. And, yes I agree, Jin arguing strategy is _way_ sexy." Xiaoyu smiled as if day-dreaming, expecting a flying pillow toward her by now, but saw nothing of the kind and mentally exhaled relief.

"You evil little ogler, Sarah! So, how and when did you meet Lars for the very first time? I'm curious." Said Julia smiling, making a whisk-away motion with her hand toward Xiaoyu.

"I'm no ogler! And hah! After telling you all this about him and I spending time, you're not gonna believe how cold we were toward each other when we met the first time." Sarah chuckled at the memory as it always made her wonder how on earth she and Lars got so close after what had happened between them the first day she had met him.

"_Do tell_," her friends said in unison, eyes sparkling with interest.

"Oh dear… okay. Well, I was on my way to see Jin that day. I had passed all the guards outside and hastily walked up the marble stairs to the main building, past the two guards by the door as they let me in. When I walked inside, I paced hastily down the hall, my mind far away as I was upset about what I was going to talk to Jin about." Sarah started.

"What were you so up—" Xiaoyu cut in.

"I'll get to that eventually, Xiao." Sarah smiled at her friend.

"The next thing I know, as I'm turning the corner to the _second_ long hall, I sort of trip and turn around at the same time, really weird, and as my mind is registering the scary, upcoming fall to the floor I'm suddenly being thrown full force to it as my back hit the floor pretty hard and something was holding me in place by my wrists. I'm telling you, it all happened in one single second and I didn't even have time to blink, let alone breathe." Sarah could still remember how the fall had felt, and how awkward the situation had been.

"Here we go," Julia interrupted, grinning as she supported her chin on the palm of her hand. Sarah rolled her eyes, for the most part at the memory itself.

"I open my eyes after wincing from the vague pain in the small of my back, and I see intense blue eyes staring down at me. And there he was, Mr. _Alexandersson_. I was just about to curse in frustration when he immediately goes 'who are you and what's your business here? How did you get access to this building?' with the sharpest yet calmest voice I had ever heard. It absorbed my complete attention."

"Hey, I've noticed you pronounce his name differently than how everybody else does. Is that the correct way to pronounce his name?" Xiaoyu said beaming with a smile. Sarah wore an expression of surprise and chuckled.

"Yeah, that's right. You say it, sort of, more like _Larsh_; the –s ending in his name being pronounced similar to the 'sh' in the word 'shy' and the letter 'r' in his name is not to be pronounced but rather suppressed. You don't pronounce the –rs ending in his name like, for instance, the word 'cars'. And you prolong the letter _a_ in his name, like the _a_ in the word 'talk'." Sarah pronounced his name slowly to teach her friend.

"Oh! How fascinating. You must've taught Jin to say it correct then, huh? 'Cause he doesn't pronounce Lars similar to the ending of the word '_cars_' anymore, like he used to." Xiaoyu chuckled.

"Oh? I never taught him, but maybe he subconsciously picked it up after hearing me say Lars' name from time to time." Sarah laughed and patted her friend's hand.

"Back to the story girls, no side trips now, please." Julia cut in stretching her arm out between the girls.

Xiaoyu quietly began repeating and pronouncing the name "Lars" in different ways, to herself.

"You'll get it right eventually, Xiao. Don't force it too much." Sarah said smiling.

"Where was I… right! So there we were, in the most awkward position, and my head was still semi-spinning from the fall as I'm trying to register what the heck was going on. I look at him in silence for a few seconds, and then I ask…"

* * *

"_Who are you?" Sarah asked, confused and frustrated at the situation with the sudden stranger. Who he was and how he dared hold her down the way he was was beyond her moral understanding._

"_I asked you first." Lars replied, indifferent as he gazed intently into her eyes. She didn't answer him right away, but spared a few seconds gazing into his shining blue eyes before she spoke._

"_Well, maybe you'd be so kind as to get off me—" She started before he cut her off._

"_Answer my questions and I'll let you go, depending." His matter-of-fact tone of voice alarmed her slightly, but his words confused her further._

"_Depending? Depending on what? And what questions?"She studied his handsome face as she awaited his response, and she wondered who he was; she had never seen him before in her life, and now he was holding her down, demanding answers to strange questions. She figured she would have noticed such a handsome face during her long stay with Jin Kazama; his blond hair alone sticks out in the crowd at the base. However, she found nothing even remotely familiar about him._

"_I have all day, so you're wasting your time playing games. Tell me who you are and how you got in or you'll be facing immediate imprisonment." She noticed the continuously serious tone in his voice, and how calmly he handled the situation, in spite of his possible awareness of their awkward position on the floor._

"Imprisonment?"_ She asked and frowned, and tried to move her hands in the process; they were solidly in place. In her opinion, even shackles would have held her wrists looser than his strong grip. Her legs were trapped between his, as he was on his knees hovering over her with his hands firmly holding down her wrists next to her waist._

"_Imprisonment." He repeated as to state a fact._

"_Who are _you _to be saying that to me? I don't have to answer to you and certainly not so considering I don't know who the heck you even are. I'm having Jin arresting you for this!" Sarah said in a loud tone of voice; determined, but shaky from the adrenaline in her system._

"_Jin—" Lars said but was immediately cut off by her voice._

"_Kazama._ _You'll be sorry to have treated me this way. Get off me, will you?"She struggled to get out of his hold but nothing happened, her arms were firmly in place. She tried to move her legs but they wouldn't move, and she noticed he was cleverly holding them in place by the strength of his own legs. Surprisingly enough, he wasn't hurting her much at all, in spite of his strong hold._

"_Lies._ _I don't believe you know him at all. Why have you come— oh wait, let me guess. It's a classic, isn't it? You're here in a futile attempt to assassinate Kazama? To try to lure him into something? How far did you think you'd be able to—" She cut him off mid-sentence again._

"_Let me go, you're hurting my wrists." She lied and moved her head in another attempt to free her arms. _

_"Oh I'm sorry, would you like a nice comfortable chair and a cup of tea, and we can discuss this all nice and cozy? _Just answer the questions._" His tone of voice in the end startled her slightly, and she stopped moving, only to yet another time be mesmerized by his gaze._

_"I'm telling you, I know Jin personally. He's like… my guardian and a good friend. Are you the only one who doesn't know around here? It wouldn't surprise me considering I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new or something? What are you; a general of some kind? Guard? Foot soldier? _What?!_"She glared at him and decided that if he wasn't going to let her go within the next minute, she was going to scream for help._

"_Guardian?_ _Please, is that the best you can do? _Guardian_?"He wasn't mocking her, but there was something about the way he said it that made her frown._

"_What do you want me to say; I'm telling you the truth—"This time he cut her off._

"_Prove it." She wondered how he had the patience and strength to not move from the position he was in; she was on her back and was aching to move already. But upon thinking this, she noticed how close he really was, and a vague dust of pink colored her pale cheeks as she looked away from his gaze._

_The strange silence lasted for seconds, and it made the situation even more embarrassing for her; she cursed inwardly at the feeling of the blood that suddenly rushed to her face. She was now visibly blushing. She wondered why he was staring at her without a word; was he wondering why she was blushing all of a sudden? Or was he seriously interested in knowing why she was here; determined she was the enemy until she proved otherwise?_

_"Nothing else to say?" Lars asked as he let go of one of her wrists to turn her face toward him; he gently took hold of her chin and prompted her to look him in the eyes. Sara's eyes darted in every other direction than his' before she dared meet his gaze again._

"_Take me to him, and you'll see I'm telling the truth." She said in a gentle tone of voice; she moved her free arm up to the side of her head before he caught it and held it in place there._

"_Right._ _And I'm an ogre. Won't happen. Who are you?" He was calmer than ever; she was getting impatient._

"_You know what else?! I'll have Jin wipe that smug look off your face while he's at it!" She was on her way to scream for help when he spoke; his cut off voice interrupted by a third person._

"_Have it your wa—"_

"_What on earth…?" Jin said as he appeared in the hallway, seemingly very shocked at the sight infront of him._

"_Jin! Jin, tell this lunatic, whoever the hell he is, to let me go this instant!"_

* * *

"… as Jin raised his eyebrow eyeing me and Lars suspiciously, it hit me that having Lars, sort of, 'on top' of me didn't exactly justify what was really going on by glance, from Jin's point of view. So now I'm in this really embarrassing situation hoping desperately my next words were carefully chosen—"

"…"

"What now, Xiao…?" Asked Sarah glaring at her laughing friend.

"Seriously, I can imagine what was going on in Jin's mind seeing you and Lars like that in the middle of the hallway!" Xiaoyu said bursting out in laughter again.

Julia had a smirk on her face as she turned to look at the laughing Chinese girl. She cut in, "Yeah, I get you Xiao. Poor Jin; his mind must've turned 360 trying to justify what he was seeing." Julia turned her attention back to Sarah.

"Oh please! I get it, you've embarrassed me enough already! Let me get on with the story." Sarah said, a blush dusting her cheeks.

"So Jin just stands there, puts his hands in his pockets, gently clears his throat and just stares down at me and Lars, completely serious, as if waiting for one of us to start explaining the situation…"

* * *

"_Jin, this isn't what it seems. I was—" But Jin's eyes narrowed as he eyed them on the floor, somehow seeming amused for a second._

"_Hm." Jin uttered, the sound barely audible._

"_This-man-knocked-me-down-as-I-was-tripping-started-questioning-me-about-who-I-was-and-he-still-won't-get-the-hell-off-me!" Sarah said in one breath, her eyes darting between the two men._

"_Sarah, breathe. Lars, what are you doing? Orinasai. [1]" Jin walked up to them and looked down at Lars, raising an eyebrow._

"_Kazama, this woman—" Lars said, but wouldn't move his gaze to meet Jin's._

"_Is very special to me."Jin interrupted, his hands slightly moving inside his pockets._

"_I thought—"Lars began, vague confusion adorning his handsome face as he faced Jin._

"_There's been a misunderstanding. It's my fault. Sarah, come here, are you alright?"As Lars stood up and backed to the side, Jin helped Sarah stand up._

"_I'm fine, Jin… what do you mean 'misunderstanding'? Who is this jerk?" She glared at Lars before swiftly looking back at Jin again; Lars' solid stare never left Sarah._

"_Easy now… Sarah, this is our Tekken force officer, and my close friend, Lars Alexandersson. Lars, this is Sarah."_

* * *

"… Lars and I were literally glaring at each other when Jin was introducing us, with me being royally pissed that Jin hadn't told Lars about me before that incident…"

* * *

"_I'm sorry Lars; I've been so busy lately I forgot to introduce you two. It's my fault. Sarah, he was doing his job—"She interrupted him immediately._

"W_hich is?! Attacking innocent people?" She glared at the Swede again, this time without removing her gaze from his as she noticed he was staring at her._

"_You could've been someone from G-corp. for all he knew, did you think about that? It's my fault he doesn't know who you are, so if you want to blame someone, blame me." This made Sarah frown as she turned to look at Jin with a puzzled look on her face._

_"Sarah, please. Let's just apologize and put all of this behind us, shall we?" He attempted a friendly smile at both Lars and Sarah, and put one hand on Lars' shoulder, and the other on Sarah's._

* * *

"… and Jin gives Lars the most serious expression I've ever seen, as if to tell him to start off with the apologizing, as the three of us just stand there in utter silence." Sarah was giggling at the memory.

"So, Lars is staring at Jin, who's still staring back at Lars, waiting, and then Lars looks away for a while and then back at me, and decides to put out his right hand…"

* * *

"… _I apologize for being harsh on you. Peace?" Lars said in a gentle tone of voice, his gaze strong but friendlier. Sarah's gaze didn't falter, and she looked into his blue eyes without blinking once._

"_Sarah?" Jin said._

"_Jin—"She finally protested._

"Sarah_." Jin prompted with a tone._

"_Alright."She threw her hands to the sides and sighed, looking down at her shoes before facing Lars again. She looked at him for a few seconds before speaking; his hand was still stretched out, and his firm expression hadn't changed._

"_Apology accepted."She said, their gazes still locked; his hand still in the air._

* * *

"… I'm reluctant to shake Lars' hand as I say those words, and so I turn to look at Jin who looks at Lars' outstretched hand and then back at me, completely indifferent, but seemingly not satisfied with my behavior."

* * *

"_I'm sorry, too. For the things I said. Please, accept my apology…" Sarah said and finally shook hands with him; his gentle grasp surprising her in contrast to his earlier grip of her wrists. She felt something unknown and strange in her heart as he took her hand in his, but the feeling went away as fast as it came._

"_Good. I hope we can all be friends now. Lars, matte. [2]" Jin said in a happy tone of voice, nodding to his left, as to tell Lars he needed a word with him. Jin and Lars walked two steps to the side and started conversing in Japanese, while Sarah stood there, slightly irritated for not understanding what they were talking about; they had left her standing to the side, waiting._

"_Yeah, you two just go right ahead. Go Japanese on me, like I don't even exist." She said and rolled her eyes before looking away; she leaned against the wall behind her and studied a painting on the opposite wall._

"_Donoyouni? [3]" She heard Lars say._

"_Jin."She said and turned her attention back at the two men._

"_Nani ga iitai no? [4]" Lars asked Jin indifferently._

"_Atetemite. [5]"Jin said; their voices were so low she had to inch closer to hear their conversation, one she didn't understand except for a few words. Jin paid her no attention._

"_Ah, wakarimashita. [6]" Lars said after a few seconds of silence._

"Jin—"_ Sarah said with a tone as she walked up to them._

"_I'll see you later as scheduled. Sorry, Sarah. Walk with me."He took her arm and prompted her to walk in the direction to his office._

"_Finally…" She took one last glance at the Swedish officer, and was surprised to see he was staring back at her. She immediately turned away and hugged Jin's arm closer to her head, feeling the blush in her cheeks again._

* * *

"When we were in Jin's office I realized I was at a loss of words after the incident except I suddenly remembered something which I immediately jumped at…"

* * *

"_Did you say his name was 'Lars'? If I'm not mistaken, which I know I couldn't be, that's a Swedish name. He's Swedish?" She had not thought about his name, but it slapped her in the face as soon as she set foot in Jin's office._

"_Oh, yeah, he is. I should've known you'd notice it right away." The Japanese male grinned faintly and took a seat on the expensive, mahogany-colored couch; she followed suit._

"_I also noticed he's completely fluent in Japanese when you two were talking back there; that's pretty uncommon for Swedes here, wouldn't you agree? Unless, maybe he's lived here for years…" She scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder when he put his arm around her._

"_He has. I never pried too much about that though, it's his business. So long I know I can trust him, I try not to be too rude as to dig further into his past or family matters."Jin said and gently rubbed her arm._

"_You're close friends, huh?" She said distantly, her eyes fixed on a vase in the distance._

"_Yes, correct." He replied and rested his head on hers._

"_So, do you believe he's an asset?" She distantly made circular motions with her index finger on his leg._

"_The best I have."He stated matter-of-factly._

"_Does he know any Swedish?" She said as she looked up and met his warm gaze. Jin remained silent at her question and smiled._

"_Come on, I'm curious. Has he said anything in Swedish before?"Her tone of voice sounded excited, and he noticed how she tried to hide it._

"_You seem so interested all of a sudden. A while ago you couldn't stop glaring at him, even after you apologized to each other."_

"You _made us apologize, Jin-chai; I would've walked away after the way he treated me. Besides, who said I was interested, I'm just intrigued someone _here_, in your force, speaks Swedish let alone _is _of Swedish ancestry at all. I haven't said a single word in Swedish for years now… so as I said, I only find it intriguing."She looked away and avoided Jin's gaze, feeling like he was reading her mind. He stopped grinning and spoke._

"_I see. Well, you'll have to ask him. I wouldn't know, I don't know the language."He took her hand in his and saw how small it was compared to his strong one._

"_I'm not asking him _anything_."Her tone of voice told him she was hurt by Lars' treatment of her a while back, as she sighed and opened their interlocked fingers with her other hand._

"_Come on, Sarah. He's a great guy, really. In fact, under different circumstances you'd have loved his company; I can positively assure you of that much. It was all just a big misunderstanding. Try to forget about it, start over. You're both close friends of mine; I really can't have you two argue with each other like that." He put a finger under her chin and had her face him; looking down into her brown eyes, he gave her a genuine smile which she couldn't resist._

"_If you say so…" She said, her voice almost a whisper._

"_Does that mean you'll at least try?" His gentle voice gave her a feeling of butterflies in her stomach._

"_I'll try. For you." She said and attempted to smile back, when Jin kissed the tip of her nose._

"_Thank you," he said and placed a few of her bangs behind her ear. She closed her eyes upon his kiss and smiled at his irresistible charm. But then she seemed to have remembered something, and sat up from her slouching position to face him again._

"_Oh, hey, I was on my way over here to talk to you about something. I know this may have me come off as being a bit paranoid, but this is the third night I hear weird sounds outside my window. It's hard to explain, but at one point I almost thought I heard a sound equal to that of wings flapping." She expressed a frown and seemed to expect a straight answer from Jin Kazama._

"_Not to come off as ridiculing, but have you considered it might be a bird of some kind?"He asked her, wondering what she meant._

"_Jin, please. Of course I thought of that. But the thing of it is that the sound is _massive_. I have never in my life heard such an enormous and mighty flapping sound. I'm very certain it's the same sound bird wings or the like make when they flap. But I'm telling you, _massive_!" She motioned with her hand as to emphasize the effect of the sound, and Jin watched her hand all the way before looking down at her._

"_Would you like me to post a few guards outside the building for the night?"He asked and gently rested his cheek on her head._

"_I guess that'd give me some peace… yes, thanks."_

* * *

"Flapping sounds? Sarah, that sounds scary. Did you ever find out what the source was?" asked Xiaoyu holding her right hand to her chest.

"No… but I haven't heard it since Jin posted the guard outside that night. It still bothers me though, that weird, flapping sound…" Sarah trailed off, her eyes seeming distant.

"So, did you ever ask Lars if he knew any Swedish or did it just happen one day that he spoke a word or two?" Julia wasn't in the least paying attention to the "scary" sound her friend had heard outside her window.

"Actually, he must've somehow learned I knew the language, maybe from Jin, 'cause he saved my life once, using it." Julia cut in, "How do you mean?"

"Well, long story short, there was this hitman seated at the bar I was at that night, which I had no sane idea about at all. In comes Lars, takes a seat next to me and calmly tells me, in _Swedish_, that I have to remain calm to what he's about to tell me, and says that they just learned that there is a hitman in the bar that has been paid to kill me, but that Lars hadn't been able to find out what the hitman looked like yet—"

"Meaning it could have been anyone at the bar…," said Julia gently gasping.

"Yeah and there were people sitting next to me and even next to Lars; it could have been anyone for all we knew. So he calmly asked me to go to the dorms and enter my bedroom as usual, and that Jin would be waiting there for further instructions, by means of flushing the hitman out in the open. This whole time Lars was avoiding eye contact with me as he's pretending to speak into his cell phone. It was really clever of him, smart move." Sarah smiled at the memory.

"Whoa, so what was your first reaction, hearing him speak in Swedish for the first time?" Xiaoyu looked immensely excited.

"Well, I had suspected he knew the language, but when he actually spoke that night I literally froze; I desperately tried to avoid turning around to look at him as I would on reflex since he was addressing me. It was weird hearing him talk in Swedish all of a sudden, but at the same time I felt like I had butterflies dancing in my stomach. It was so unusual but soothing, and somehow I felt nostalgic to hear him speak to me in Swedish after all these years of not speaking the language myself." Her gaze looked distant when she spoke of her memory, a smile adorning her pretty face.

"Hearing Lars speak it of all people… well… let's just say the language becomes him…" She chuckled halfheartedly, and seemed to have spaced out; a strange silence until one of her girl friends spoke up.

"'Not love sick' _my-cute-butt_!" Julia cut in, gently nudging her friend with her elbow, grinning.

"I sure would like the day to come when Sarah and Lars argue in Swedish. Publicly," Xiaoyu said, sharing Julia's non-stop grinning.

Sarah merely smiled at her friends and responded with a vague _hmph_ sound.

"You really should share more of these stories with us, sweet'. I mean, you always do, yet this time you're somewhat reluctant to. It's perfectly normal to feel what you feel." Julia said as she stood up.

"I really don't know why I'm so reluctant… maybe because I've been so confused lately I've gone back to old habits of bottling up my emotions and shutting people out…"

"Sarah, you forget you have friends and what they're for. You're not alone, whatever it is we can work it out, don't worry." Julia held her friend's hand and smiled as she turned to look at Xiaoyu.

"Have we now established that Sassy's love sick, Jules? So we can go grab a bite to eat, I'm sure we're all hungry." Xiaoyu looked up at Julia as she, too, stood up next to her friend.

"Positive." The Chinese girl chuckled and smiled at her Swedish friend.

"What, no. Girls, I told you, I'm not—" Sarah protested with sincerity.

"Give it up already, Sass. You're attracted to Lars, and probably even Steve, stop denying that. After everything you've said added to what we already know? Come on, Sarah. We know already." Julia couldn't help but smile down at her friend.

"And as for Lars, I'm gonna let you in on a secret. Don't tell anyone about this, especially not Jin, 'kay?" Xiao cut in, looking at Sarah as she sat back down on the bedside again.

"Do I want to know?" Sarah gazed back and forth between Julia and Xiaoyu.

"Yes you do; and I'm gonna tell you anyway." Xiaoyu couldn't help but grin, yet again, at her friend even as she felt her cheeks had begun burning from excessively doing it.

"Jin told me he's noticed Lars sparing you more than a couple of glances when you're not looking. He also told me that he personally believes Lars is attracted to you. What he bases that on I don't know, but they are close friends after all, so I believe Jin's on to something." Xiaoyu, upon continuously grinning like an idiot, waited for a reaction from Sarah with bated breath.

"Really…?" Sarah looked back and forth again between Julia and Xiaoyu with a serious expression on her face.

"Well, isn't it wonderful? You're both at least attracted to one another, and that's a start!" Xiaoyu exclaimed as she hugged her friend.

"Xiao…" Sarah gently shook her head and looked away.

"Look, I don't know about you, but, for several reasons, I like Lars a heck of a lot more than Steve, no offense intended there. You'd be such a cute couple!" Xiaoyu looked at Julia as if to get her Native American friend to agree on it.

"I like Steve, I don't really know Lars, so I can't say. But it is very, sort of, romantically _cute_ that you and Lars share a lot of likes and dislikes, and things related to your homeland. What I find really cute though is that you guys converse in Swedish and not in English or Japanese… well, the bit of Japanese you _do_ know that is, Sarah. No offense." Said Julia, arms crossed, smiling.

"Hey, I'm still learning! And I may not be that fluent in Japanese but I manage myself quite well." Sarah stuck out her tongue at Julia and chuckled.

"Sass, why don't you get up and get dressed so we can continue on this over some _late_ breakfast, hmm?" Xiaoyu put her hands on her friend's shoulders and shook her gently.

"Alright, alright. I just need to use the bathroom first. How about I see you downstairs in a few minutes?" Sarah leaned backward and supported herself with her elbows.

"Sure, but hurry, we're starving here," said Julia, chuckling, as she turned to leave.

"See you downstairs in ten, Sass! Don't be late!" Xiaoyu followed suit and she and Julia were soon out the door, closing it behind them.

"O'boy… you'll be okay, Sarah. You have to be." Sarah pep-talked herself out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, wishing, not for the first time, she wouldn't run into Steve today.

* * *

**A/n**: Once again, thank you for your support! Means a lot!

**Japanese words used**

1 – _orinasai_ – get off

2 – _matte_ - wait

3 – _donoyouni? - _how?

4 – _Nani_ _ga iitai no?_ – what's your point?

5 – _Atetemite_ – take a guess

6 – _wakarimashita_ – I understand


	4. Chapter 4

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

**A/n**: Banzai! Another chapter! :D

Mind the coding, please; Swedish letters are incoming!

I hope you'll enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"… _Running through fields of yesterday,_

_Below the burning lights of our future dreams._

_You make me want to reach out, _

_Hold onto the stars of tomorrow._

_---_

_I want to see you again; tell me this is home._

_I want to run to you; _

_tell me, this time it's been worth the wait._

_---_

_Home._

_Tell me this is home._

_You, my safe haven—" [1]_

"Änglalikt. [2]" Lars shifted his weight from the wall he was leaning against and walked up to the stage to stand next to Sarah; she looked frightened and withdrawn as he realized him suddenly alerting her of his presence must have been the source to that. She probably thought she was sure of her being alone. The sound from the piano gradually halted to complete silence as she stared at him.

Lars' outfit was pretty casual for the night; a pair of black trousers, and a really nice, long-sleeved, dark-grey shirt with a pearl-white, fiery emblem along his shoulders and to the front. She liked that, he looked really good. But her observational discovery of his looks was abruptly clouded by the realization that she'd been caught off-guard singing.

_Oh God, how long has he been standing there?_

"Sluta inte sjunga på grund av mig. [3]" He looked straight into her soulful eyes, moved by her angelic singing voice; his words a gentle breeze in the still and empty auditorium.

She stood up and carefully pushed the stool behind her in the process of taking a step back.

"Förlåt, jag trodde jag var ensam. Jag testade bara ljudet, gjorde inget speciellt... [4]" She carefully turned the microphone the other way and moved its stand out of the way as she covered the piano buttons, embarrassed to look at Lars for catching her off-guard.

"Vad gör du bakom skuggorna med en vacker röst som din? Du hör hemma på en scen. [5]"

"Jag… [6]" She began but trailed off into silence again.

"Varför döljer du en sådan talang som din? [7]" Lars tilted his head by means of getting the woman to look at him.

"Lars, I… no, I don't sing, really; I just play around like that sometimes. Please, let this be our secret, I don't want to make a big deal out of it." She finally turned to look him in the eyes, seemingly emotional as she put her right hand to his left arm.

"That's pretty sad, you know. With a voice like yours, you'd move the world, I'm sure of it." He gave her a slight nod of agreement as to assure her he wouldn't spread the word around.

"Where did you learn how to play the piano, let alone sing like that?" His voice left no echo in the still of the room; probably because he was standing so close to her, the sound of his voice unforced.

"Believe it or not, it was Jin who taught me advanced piano lessons, but initially… initially I learned how to play in a place far, far away from here." She sighed and looked him in the eyes.

"Kazama, plays the piano? Who would've guessed…" Lars grinned, yet he wore a surprised look on his face.

"I know, he swept me off my feet that day I walked in and saw that it was he who played that beautiful music I was hearing that echoed through the halls." She smiled, the memory still vivid and colorful, his music replaying in her head.

"I, on the other hand, always get nostalgic when I sing or play, so I rarely ever do…" Sarah shrugged and locked her fingers behind her back.

"Sweden?" He understood.

"Yes… _home_." She looked down at the wooden floor and sighed, feeling bitter-sweet.

"You miss it, I can imagine." He took a step closer to her and gently moved one of the bangs covering her eyes, as he spoke. She took his hand in both of hers and took in how strong yet beautiful it was shaped; it wasn't like she was obsessed with matters like those, but she had always liked his hands.

She smiled and turned to look up to the ceiling of the auditorium; the roof was made out of glass which allowed her to gaze through it, out into the starry night sky.

"Dearly, but this is my home too. _Jin _is home." She gave off a vague chuckle that trailed off into silence, her eyes filling with tears as she, once again, avoided locking gazes with Lars, still eyeing the millions of stars up above. Her last words were vaguely above a whisper at the mention of Jin's name.

"Lars?" She saw millions, and millions of forever-burning lights, covering one sky, one world.

"Yes?" Almost a gentle whisper, but always so firm and determined.

"Do you believe in fate?" Lars was unsure of what the reason behind her question might be, but he decided to reply nonetheless.

"Well… in a way, yes I do. I believe that everything that happens does so for a reason. Everything must have a purpose, some sort of meaning." He wondered what she was thinking about as he remained where he stood.

"Do you ever wonder… where you would be now had you chosen another path in life?" Her mind seemed absent, floating amidst another world.

_Nostalgic. She looks lost and nostalgic._

"Sure I do, many times. But life isn't always easy, is it? I'm certain though; this particular path of mine must be a blessed one…" She shifted her eyes from the ceiling to meet his eyes with hers, her questioning gaze evident.

"I met _you_." He caressed her cheek gently, his sudden choice of words making her heart skip a beat.

"Lars—" Her upcoming words were cut off as a sudden sensation ran through every single nerve cell in her body; his surprising kiss awarding her with the most wonderful feeling she had ever felt in her entire life.

She was in another world, floating on a clear-blue ocean but sleeping on clouds high up in the sky at the same time; another dimension, a feeling of freedom and rest, of a safe haven away from the rest of the world. But the feeling was immediately replaced by a slight jolt of surprise on her part, startling her abruptly as Lars' ringing cell phone brought her senses back to Earth.

He slowly pulled away from their kiss and flashed a smile at her surprise as he fished his cell from his pocket and took a quick glance at the caller ID.

"I'm really sorry; I have to take this call. Excuse me," he said and slowly let go of her hand as he walked past her to a corner even as he answered the caller on the other end of the line.

Sarah nodded agreement as she took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly with shaking lips; she felt like hundreds of grams of ecstasy were in her system, her head seeming immensely too light for her liking; his surprising kiss leaving her a foreign feeling she couldn't place. It was wonderful in every sense yet it made her unsteady all the same. Her heart was hammering faster than she'd ever felt it beat before.

_No, please, no… don't tell me I've fallen for him. I've been there so many times; again and again, why should this be any different in the end…? This isn't happening, isn't happening…_

"_Ariuru koto desu_.[8]" His words managed to snap her mind back to reality, and she turned around and saw that he was still on the phone.

She tried but she failed; she couldn't run away from the truth that was her solid consciousness. It wasn't just the surprising kiss she'd been longing for that made her feel what she felt toward the Swede.

It was how he treated her, like she was the only one who deserved the beauty of the world. When she was feeling down he would be that stranger knocking on her door with a smile on his handsome face. He was the black knight guarding her window from outside on those uneasy nights when she couldn't get any peaceful sleep.

On the night of her birthday, he had taken her up to the roof of the main building, way up high where she'd felt like she was on top of the world. He'd held her hand and asked her to look up to the night sky. As her brown eyes had met the most breathtaking view of the billions of stars that lit up the night sky, he'd told her he liked to think those were the souls of people from the past; that the burning lights were the very life stream flowing through us every day. They were "yesterday's cause for the grasp of tomorrow" and no matter where we went in the world, we would always share the same sky.

_And isn't that what you've been looking for, for so long now? Your safe haven? Haven't you been looking for the home that he's holding out to you in the palm of his hand; a home, safe from this cruel and tainted world? A home you wished for with Jin._

_Jin… _

_I miss him even though I know I don't deserve to. I still want him but he'll never be mine again. I let him slip away, and here I am, allowing myself to fall in love again..._

She resisted the urge to let her tears fall. Locking her fingers behind her back and stretching her bare arms she slowly swung around to glance at Lars again, her baby-blue, knee-length skirt flowing like crashing waves around her legs in the process.

_Lars Alexandersson. He's always so sweet to me, yet I show him a side of distrust. That beautiful, protective soul of his… so sweet. So tranquil._

"Sorry, but I have to go." Lars' voice broke off her hypnotizing stare. He walked up to her as he pocketed his cell phone, her rosy cheeks making him smile.

"I understand." She smiled back at him, her gaze not faltering even as the realization of what had happened seconds ago still being too fresh in her mind to leave her a second without shy embarrassment.

"Listen, Sarah…" He began and held her by her shoulders.

"Hm?" She attempted a sweet smile and for a second Lars thought he was looking at an angel.

He spared her a glance of trust before continuing, "I don't want to seem pushy, and I certainly don't want to seem like I'm imposing on you, at all. But I do want you to know, that I'm here for you if you want someone to listen." His strong gaze assured her he would always be there if she needed someone to talk to; it told her that talking about her feelings would take the weight off her tired shoulders.

"Lars—"

"What you're doing is dangerous, Sarah." He interrupted her as he tilted his head to the side.

"But—" She protested gently.

"You bottle up your feelings and they'll ultimately destroy you. If you don't want to talk to me, at least, talk to Jin."She had not expected him to mention Jin.

"Jin…" She spoke his name distantly.

"Sarah, I don't think you know how worried sick he is for you. He doesn't show it, but I'm telling you he is. Trust me, I know." Lars trailed off as he gently held her by her arms, noticing how weak she looked.

He carefully embraced her, making sure not to hold her any tighter as to not shatter her tired soul. Her arms quickly found their way around his waist as she closed her eyes to the tranquil sound of his beating heart. She noticed his clean and soapy smell and sighed with content; there was something about the moment in a whole that made everything right and in order.

A minute seemed like five seconds to her as he, much to her disappointment, slowly pulled away and kissed her forehead.

"Don't go… stay." A whisper of longing; she was the lost sailor, and he was her safe shore.

She put her right hand to his chest, still drawn to his steady heartbeats, her left hand resting on his arm.

"I'm sorry. I would if I could…" Sarah had expected that response.

"Hm," a thoughtful sound escaped her lips as she broke off her gazing into his eyes, and slightly backed away.

"Hey?" His seductive voice drew back her attention in a split-second, his smile adoring as he held her chin up.

"Jag finns här för dig, oavsett. [9]" Lars' reassuring words earned him a tight embrace from her, but she just as quickly let go before she liked it too much again to let him go. She stroked her hand against his abdomen, trailing it to his arm and then off as she walked past him. Lars' eyes followed her every move, as Sarah casually walked back to sit by the piano.

The sound of her claques, disturbing the peaceful silence of the auditorium, subconsciously alerted Lars to head for the exit as he remembered the urgency of his leaving.

As Lars semi-hurried for the exit door, Sarah resumed her playing the piano as she closed her eyes and took in the music through her soul.

Meanwhile…

… outside the huge windows of the auditorium, the strong wind was playing with the hair of a certain blond who stood in the chill of night with his hands in his pockets, observing the woman he had fallen for as she was kissing another man.

Steve Fox could hear her play the piano once again; Sarah had abruptly stopped playing when that other blond male had approached her from nowhere. Steve noticed this time she wasn't singing but just kept on playing.

Under different circumstances he'd have enjoyed the music and perhaps even walked inside and just… simply have enjoyed it. But the surprising scenery which had befallen a mere minute ago had left him jealous and… _hurt?_

_Get over it, mate. You'll never have her; you knew it from the beginning. __She's just too good to be true…_

He was usually very bold when it came to girls, yet he just couldn't bring himself to confront Sarah; what was he supposed to say to her? What with everything that happened in the bar the night prior, he wouldn't have blamed her one bit if she never wanted to share even one innocent afternoon tea with him. Nothing had happened between him and Asuka, yet nearly all tournament participants were already well on their way of spreading rumours about how "_cute_" Steve and Asuka looked as a couple.

_What a mess, you dare think twice and the opportunity passes you by. You'd think I would have learned something from my past mistakes by now—_

A sudden sound of advancing footsteps echoed as Steve moved his eyes toward the sound, standing perfectly still. He ultimately turned around as the sound of the footsteps stopped. Steve's blue orbs met another pair of serious blue orbs;

The stranger was none other than Jin's Tekken Force officer, Lars Alexandersson.

* * *

**A/n:** Another chapter completed! I had some spare time for this one which is why it was done close to when I had posted chapter 3 prior. Thanks again for the reviews, they are always very much appreciated, I want you to remember that =). Till next time!

**Other notes**

1 – Lines from a song copyrighted to me.

**Translation Swedish/English**

2 – _Änglalikt_ – angelic

3 – _Sluta inte sjunga på grund av mig_ – don't stop (singing) because of me

4 – _Förlåt, jag trodde jag var ensam_ - sorry, I thought I was alone.

_Jag testade bara ljudet, gjorde inget speciellt_ – I was just testing the sound, wasn't doing much

5 – _Vad gör du bakom skuggorna med vacker röst som din?_ – what are you doing in the shadows with such a beautiful voice like yours?

_Du hör hemma på en scen_ – you belong on a stage

6 – _Jag_ – I (as in "me")

7 – _Varför döljer du en sådan talang som din?_ – why are you hiding a talent such as yours?

9 – _Jag finns här för dig, oavsett_ – I'm here for you, no matter what

**Translation Japanese/English**

8 – _Ariuru koto desu_ – possibly


	5. Chapter 5

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

**A/n**: Finally! I've been through hell and back what with all the biochemistry exams and whatnot. Now I can take it easy and relax, and that means another chapter!

Remember to mind the coding (UTF-8), Swedish letters are included in this chapter :)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"You." Said Lars as he walked up to Steve; the boxer who Lars suspected was partially guilty for Sarah's emotional turmoil.

"You must be Lars Alexandersson." Lars merely stared at Steve.

"I remember Sarah mentioning you a couple of times." Steve held a response of complete indifference, his hands still hidden in his pockets.

"Steve F-"

"I know who you are," interrupted Lars, remaining as serious.

The silence of the chilly night was calm but alert as the wind was picking up its pace around buildings, lamp posts and trees.

_Bet he knows about the bar incident..._

"Haven't you disappointed her enough already? What kind of an insensitive jerk are you?" It almost sounded like a rhetorical question or statement, to say the least, but Steve still responded.

"I don't see how anything that happens between me and Sarah is of any concern of yours." Steve knew Sarah and Lars had gotten really close, he'd bet his boxing career on it; he wasn't sure how close, though he'd began having serious doubts about even attempting a chance with Sarah again.

_Not that she wouldn't be worth fighting for..._

"That's the problem with you; you don't have the slightest clue what you've done to her do you?"

"Why do you keep-"

"And I'm not just talking about the incident at the bar the other night; I mean all the other, _three_ times she's been in tears because of something you've done; something seemingly so trivial to you. You must be getting quite good at leading women on only to delude them on purpose for your selfish, sheer joy." Lars was upset but he appeared as calm and collected as the surface of the sea on a still and windless afternoon; never once did the Swede turn his gaze elsewhere or blink, his crystal-blue orbs challenging but cool.

"I'm not listening to this gibberish," Steve coolly said as he calmly walked toward, and past Lars.

"Listen." Lars voice was stern but unforced.

Steve stopped in his tracks, and without turning around to face Lars he decided to give Alexandersson no more than five seconds to start talking.

_And it had better be worth my time._

"You should confront her and tell her what's going on and where you stand. Don't do this, playing around with her feelings, because that's what she's been experiencing since you two got to know eachother-"

"I know about the two of you, and that it's getting pretty serious." Steve interrupted as he turned around and faced Lars.

The blond Swede didn't respond as he seemed to be waiting for Steve to continue, Lars strategic mind already assessing the situation.

"Since we're both being bold and open..." Steve paused and inhaled the fresh air.

Exhaling gently he said, "I haven't been entirely honest with Sarah. And a partial reason for that is I was never really sure what her stand was in this either." His tone of voice was unforced, but he seemed to be determined by his words.

"Also, it didn't take me long to figure out how much she enjoyed being with you, seeing as how she'd actually mention you during our conversations or when something happened and she'd immediately relate an occasion with you."

"Your point being?" A vague curiosity was emerging, but Lars kept it cool.

"My point being I really like Sarah, literally."

A complete silence.

"... but?" Lars put his hands in his pockets as it was getting pretty chilly.

"But apparently she's being pretty clear on who she wants to be with, the way she's been lately. Asuka and I have gone out a few times-"

_"Bastard_." Lars threw a deadly stare.

"It wasn't as serious as everyone thinks-"

"Aside the fact you've played with one or both of their feelings, you don't seem to realize you've possibly ruined a good friendship?"

Steve frowned questionably.

"They're good friends if not _very_ good friends, and now they're avoiding eachother; yet what surprises me the most is Asuka doesn't seem to have a problem going out with you in spite of this mess." Lars mentally sighed.

"I saw them together sometimes, but I never knew they were good friends. What kind of a person do you take me for?"

"You tell me; are you and Asuka in a serious relationship?"

"It wasn't serious _at first-"_

"So it's serious?"

"As things got complicated between Sarah and me, Asuka and I started hanging out more and I enjoyed Asuka's company."

"Is that a 'yes' or a 'no'?"

"I'm not explaining myself to you." Steve said and made his way past Lars. Within a split-second, the Tekken Force officer grabbed Steve by his arm.

"Hey!" Lars forced out loud, expressionless yet serious as he grabbed and jerked the boxer's arm back, looking past him with a cold look.

Steve took a step back and gave Lars a death-glare, ready to jab him to high-hell if he made one other, single attempt at touching him.

"Lars!" It wasn't a shout but the voice sounded concerned and all too familiar; Lars turned to look to his left, past Steve. Briefly his focus turned to the auditorium windows before settling on the owner of the voice a few feet away.

"Sarah." Steves gentle voice had Sarah turn her gaze from Lars to Steve, her expression difficult to read. Both men were staring at her, seemingly surprised at her sudden appearance.

The brunette quickly looked away and walked up to Lars as she took his hand in hers and gave him a concerned look.

"Lars, can I talk to you for a second?" whispered Sarah and not once did she turn to her left to look at Steve, afraid her emotions would get jumbled up again. Steve looked confused.

Still holding on to the Swede's hand, Sarah led him a few feet away from Steve.

"Lars, vad är det som händer? Det verkade som om ni bråkade? [1]" Lars' eyes were gleaming in the moonlight, his intent stare engulfing Sarah's attention.

_My God, I never knew someone could look so handsome when serious._

Mentally slapping herself for not focusing on the task at hand, Sarah looked down at the ground before turning her gaze back at Lars again.

Not saying anything but looking into her eyes, Lars finally broke the silence.

"No Sara, there's nothing going on. Don't worry about it." Lars wasn't smiling; the fact was he looked too serious for her liking, and he didn't even blink once.

"I was on my way back to the dorms; would you like to walk me back?" Sarah attempted a smile as she tilted her head to the side and wished for Lars to agree.

"Sure, why not. I was on my way to see Kazama anyway." And Lars finally smiled, genuinely. It made her heart melt.

"Tack, Lars. [2]" She thanked Lars as they both made their way toward the building, Lars' hand resting gently on the small of her back as they were walking.

Glancing briefly in Steve's direction as she passed him by, Steve called out her name, "Sarah-"

"No, Steve. I'm sorry." A commanding voice, but the apology almost a whisper.

Sarah held it together as she turned her gaze back to the road ahead; Steve's concerned eyes following her every step.

The British boxer sighed inwardly as he watched Sarah's retreating figure, and abruptly remembered he was running late for his meeting with Asuka in the garden by the library.

* * *

"Thanks for walking me back, are you sure everything's okay?" Standing in the hall outside her dorm room, Sarah couldn't help her curiosity; especially since she'd seen Lars arguing with Steve outside.

"Mhm. Jolly good." Lars chuckled and she couldn't help herself; the result ended up in Lars nearly getting bumped down to the ground from her tight hug.

As she realized she'd practically jump-hugged him, she released her embrace and backed away blushing.

_What am I doing?! Sarah, Sarah, Sarah!_

Chuckling, Lars surprised her by preventing her from backing away any further and held her in place; his face was only two inches away from hers, arms embracing her.

The air was still and silent, but in spite of the sudden, embarrassing situation she had put herself in she felt strangely comfortable.

_"Rosor äro röda, violer äro blå..._ [3]" Lars spoke gently, his seductive smile emblazing itself in her mind, absorbing her complete attention.

_"Smultron__ äro söta..._ [4]" Sarah replied, her gazing into his crystal blue orbs dreamy and that of a relaxed manner. Lars leaned in another inch, embracing her even closer.

A peck on her lips; the gentlest nudge of the tip of her nose next to his.

_"... och__ du likaså_. [5]" Lars whispered back.

"Hm." A soft sound escaped her smiling lips as she put her shyness on hold and ran her hands through his blond hair, and pecked him back.

The blond responded with the gentlest kiss yet soon found himself not being able to pull away, leaning in as he kissed her deeper than he'd ever kissed her before.

Sliding her hands from his blond hair to his neck, she trailed her fingers to his chest and tapped her right index finger on the buttons of his shirt before tracing them back up to his collar as she pulled him in closer.

Taking a step back in the process, she somehow misplaced her foot as it was landing by the doorstep and-

* * *

"Sweetheart, I'm not saying we should go about stalking them. But she's our close friend and I just want to make sure she's enjoying life like she should." Xiaoyu happily conversed with her fiance, Jin Kazama, as they made their way through the dorm halls.

"Well, I don't know how you girls handle such issues, but I think maybe we should just give her some space to figure things out. You know?" Jin responded and glanced to his right, making Xiaoyu smile at how concerned he always was for people close to him. The Chinese girl snuck a hug around his arm, stopped him from walking any further and stole a kiss from the love of her life.

Jin smiled and held her chin up; leaning in he gave her the gentlest kiss back.

"If she really likes the guy, I'd be more than happy; he's like the brother I never had and I know I can trust him." Jin said as they casually resumed their strolling down the hall; they turned left as Xiaoyu's room was three doors away from her friend Sarah's.

_THUMP!_

Stopping dead in their tracks, the loud and weird thumping sound suddenly echoing through the hall had Xiaoyu's widened eyes look up to meet Jin's alert ones.

"What was _that_, this time of night?" Xiaoyu said to an expressionless Jin.

"Perhaps some equipment tipped over in a weird angle or some box fell off a shelf?" Jin's tone of voice made it clear to his fiancee he was going to check it out but that he didn't want her involved in the middle of the night; out of fear for her of course.

"I'm going with you whether you like it or not. Let's go." Xiaoyu said in a determined voice as she took his hand and walked ahead, forcing him to take her with him. Jin could only sigh inwardly and follow.

As they neared Xiaoyu's room, they passed Sarah's on their way and noticed that the door was open.

"Oh my..." was all Xiaoyu managed to say as she held a delicate hand to her lips and couldn't help but grin in shock at what was infront of her.

"Well, this sure looks oddly familiar." Jin said and raised an eyebrow at the sight on the floor.

Upon hearing Jin's voice, both Sarah and Lars, who were lying on the floor, turned their heads around to meet his eyes.

_Oh but, for the love of God! This is not happening!_

Sarah's heart was literally racing from embarrassment when she realized her situation. She tried to motion for Lars to move away from on top of her; it had been a nasty fall after her tripping at her doorstep and Jin and Xiaoyu's appearance seemed to always have the worst timing in the world.

_Three seconds before Xiaoyu starts rolling on the floor and laughing her butt off._

Taking into account what she was seeing, what Sarah had told her about how she had met Lars for the first time and Jin's last comment all into one, Xiaoyu put two and two together and in a single split-second she was laughing so hard she could barely breathe as her legs gave way to the floor.

_Make that one..._

"Taimingu no ii koto. [6]" A grinning Jin said to the laughing Xiaoyu, and turned to look at Sarah and Lars. Jin's grinning face wasn't helping Sarah's situation at all, and Lars seemed to be in a state of shock since Jin's comment.

_"Lars, snap out of it! Res dig upp!_ [7]" Sarah whispered with gentle force and started pushing against his chest. He finally turned around and looked down at Sarah before slowly getting up.

"Sorry, are you alright, Sarah?" The Swede extended an arm down to help Sarah up, his back facing Jin and Xiaoyu; he looked concerned and to Sarah he still seemed a bit shaken from the situation.

"I think so- yeah, _very_ funny, Xiao." Sarah quickly eyed her clothes and repositioned them correctly. Patting the dust off her skirt, she put her hands to her waist and determinedly looked at Jin, who still seemed to enjoy himself.

"I-" Sarah blurted.

"Let me guess," Jin interrupted, a mischievous grin still plastered on his handsome face.

"You tripped and fell." Jin continued and Xiaoyu started laughing even more than Sarah thought was possible.

Still embarrassed about the situation, Sarah glared at Xiaoyu before answering Jin, "As a matter of fact, _yes_, I did trip and fall. But I _accidentally_ pulled Lars down with me because I guess I reflexively tried to cling on to something so I wouldnt fall and get hurt."

"_Seriously_, seriously..." Xiaoyu was starting to catch her breath again and attempted to speak; she held on to Jin's hand and stood up as she looked at her fiance with a grin.

"What are the odds!" A statement and a laugh; Jin couldn't help chuckling at her words as Jin and Xiaoyu held hands.

"Oh please, it was an _accident!_ Lars?" Sarah turned around facing Lars; the Tekken Force officer stood casually with his hands in his pockets, smiling as Sarah's friends kept teasing her.

_Is that a smile or a grin? So help me God, if he's grinning- its a grin! Lars is definitely grinning! Argh! Why do they always team up on me?!_

Sarah raised an eyebrow at Lars, looking completely serious; the blush dusting her cheeks the cutest thing Lars had ever seen.

Lars tilted his head and smiled at Sarah before finally speaking up, "It's the truth guys, we were kis-_**walking**_ back to her room and bidding eachother a good night when she took a step back and tripped. Simple as that."

Sarah's eyes widened at what Lars almost blurted out about their kissing before the fall, nervously fingering the side of her skirt as he spoke.

A single chuckling sound escaped Jin's throat before the Japanese male decided to say something.

"We're just teasing you, sweetheart. You know that." Jin spoke genuinely.

"Come here, are you alright?" Jin walked up to Sarah and hugged her before slightly pulling back as to face her for an answer.

"Always a teaser, never fair." She poked out her tongue before smiling at him.

"I'm fine Jin-chai. My back feels a bit sore but I'll be okay in the morning, thanks." Jin leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. She kissed him back.

"Sorry for the interruption." Jin said and Sarah could swear he was grinning behind that serious face he was trying so hard to keep up. Feeling her cheeks heating up again, Sarah quickly turned to look at Lars who was being nudged by a beaming, non-stop grinning Xiaoyu.

"Godnatt. [8]" Jin said in Swedish as he took her by her chin and turned her head to face him. Sarah's heart skipped a beat as she hugged him tightly; she gently laughed before letting go.

_What a sweetheart!_

"Godnatt, Jin." She responded and smiled as she watched Jin turn around to leave.

"Xiaoyu, you coming?" Jin asked his fiancee and smiled at her bothering Lars.

"Yeah, coming. Yeah, you remember this night _well_ Lars Alexandersson, I'm not done with you yet." Xiaoyu said still nudging Lars with her elbow. Grinning, Xiaoyu scampered up to Jin, holding onto his arm as they walked out the door.

"Night you guys! _Be good now_!" She said as both Jin and Xiaoyu disappeared behind the closing door.

"Well, that sure was-" A sudden surprise but a familiar, wonderful feeling. A steady embrace and a battling kiss.

Melting away from the ecstatic feeling and butterflies in her stomach, she leaned in closer and put her arms around his neck as they were kissing.

Breaking off the long kiss, Lars embraced her and whispered in her ear in a calm voice.

"I'm sorry about the fall. Really, I am." He said and stroked her back.

"Some _nostalgic_ fall, huh?" Sarah said, and after a brief second of silence they both started laughing their hearts out at the memory of their first meeting.

"Jag mår bra, Lars. Du behver inte be om ursäkt. [9]" Sarah assured him with a smile as their laughing settled down. She circled her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. Closing her eyes, her mind relaxed to the most beautiful, calming sound amidst her chaotic world; Lars' steadily beating heart.

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**A/n**: Hope you liked this chapter! Whilst writing and deciding to include Jin bidding Sarah Goodnight in Swedish, I couldn't help giggling at how Jin would sound saying it xD I thought it was cute so I had to include it.

Also, my favourite part was how to properly execute Jin and Xiaoyu's bad timing after hearing the loud thump in the dorm halls. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, even though it's not always easy to put wonderful, funny thoughts into words you want to share with the world (kissing scenes to say the least!). But I think you have imagination enough to understand that scenery! xD

_Also_, ultra brief Jin/Xiaoyu lovey-dovey scene was teh cuteness! :3

Okay, so you guys take care and I hope to see you soon (hopefully!). Thanks again for the reviews; I love every single one of them! :3 Adjö!

PS: did you hear; tekken 6 is being released for the PSP as well! :3 I'm already saving up some money. Also, the most recent Tekken 6 trailer at gametrailers[dot]com is a win-win! (And Lars is as cool as ever ;D) Do watch it!

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**Translation of Swedish and Japanese words**

1 - Lars, vad är det som händer? Det verkade som om ni bråkade? - _Lars, whats going on? __It seemed as if you two were arguing back there_

2 - Tack, Lars - _Thank you, Lars_

3 - Rosor äro röda, violer äro blå - _Roses are red, violets are blue_

4 - Smultron äro söta - _Sugar is sweet _(note: literally, _Smultron_ means wild strawberry. But I've translated _Smultron_ to Sugar here because _Smultron_ is the word we use in Swedish in the verse equivalent to "Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you". Thought it might be fun to know, 'cause Sugar is _Socker_ in Swedish, so it's a completely different word. ^__^)

5 - Och du likaså - _And so are you_

6 - Taimingu no ii koto - _Good timing_

7 - Res dig upp! - _Get up!_

8 - Godnatt - _Goodnight_

9 - Jag mår bra, Lars. Du behöver inte be om ursäkt. - _I'm__ alright, Lars.__ You dont have to apologise._


	6. Chapter 6

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

A sudden chaos of smoke, sirens and heavy footsteps crashed down; shrieks and rolling thunder of machine guns. The trembling ground and deafening sound of machinery and screams from outside woke Sarah like a jolt of electricity; alert and frightened yet hazy still, from the realms of dreams.

Trying to catch something within her line of vision through the window in her semi-sunlit bedroom, Sarah straightened her back to look out the window, but all she saw was a dark fog of smoke.

Quickly tossing the silky blanket covering her legs, the young brunette got off the bed and ran for her cell phone, which she had placed on the table next to the door after the embarrassing incident the night before.

Grabbing her phone, she ran up to the window and looked down to the streets.

"My dear God, what's happening out there?" Her eyes widened when she finally saw the scenery outside: troops were quickly marching forward while some sort of opposing force, led farther off the confines of the area, made their way through with brute force. People were running everywhere, their frightened screams so foreign but genuine it made her shiver.

Smoke veiled buildings and machine guns fired from all directions as more Tekken Force troops rushed in for combat. Sarah's eyes desperately searched for a certain Tekken Force officer, for the familiar red armor and black cape; the determined and commanding presence she'd watched in training so many times, and ultimately fallen in love with.

"Lars, are you out there somewhere…? Let him be safe. Please be safe." Her whispering voice was shaky and she could barely control her fear.

"_Jin_, I have to call Jin." Her now trembling hands fumbled with the phone trying to speed dial, a lump forming in her throat as her system made way for a rushing adrenaline kick.

The chaotic sounds from outside gave her goose bumps as she waited for an answer on the other side of the line. She paced back and forth, her stomach getting worried.

"Pick up, Jin please pick up." Her urgent voice was above a whisper and a bit choked; the line kept ringing but no answer came. Her legs were shaking and she stopped by the window, one hand resting on the pane for support.

A loud bang on the east wall startled her as she gasped and turned around; she quickly walked up to the couch as she put on her knee-length, kimono-like robe; its silky and thin fabric elegantly wrapping her feminine figure.

As she was putting on her soft moccasins, a sudden memory piercing through her central nervous system widened her big brown eyes in horror. A memory of Jin's voice echoed in her head and she felt like she'd just been punched in the gut by tons of bowling balls.

_… and if you ever see that red flag raised up high…_

The adrenaline was pumping through her veins so fast the strong, frightening impulses she received startled her. Her breathing became uneven and she literally stumbled on her way back to the window.

Holding on to the pane as she looked out the window, her eyes searching for that specific red flag, Sarah froze.

It couldn't be true; not in her wildest dreams would that flag ever have to be raised this soon. Jin had been as serious as she'd ever seen him when he'd warned her about a possible, sudden war; he had spent time and again explaining to her what she had to do if war ever came crashing down one day (what with all the opposing forces like G-corp.).

The first sign of war would be the red flag raised above every other building, and the nearest to her window would be above the building across the street – which was the one she was looking at right this moment, flapping like waves in the wind and intensely red and proud amidst the gray smoke.

_You run, you get out, you leave this building and you hide; do not go to the south bunker, head for the east._

Jin had cupped her face and had looked straight into her eyes as he'd explained everything, a sad smile on his handsome face at the sight of her unshed tears.

The memory burned like fire inside of her and, in vain, she desperately tried not to panic as she was assessing the situation and her possible escape routes. The sirens of war were deafening, and pierced like unbearably loud shrieks up her spine.

The nearest military bunker was five stories down, and she needed to go through the main dorm hall just to reach the back doors that led to the stairs. There was no other way out of the room she was in, unless she wanted to jump out the window and land on plain, hard asphalt.

_Or a soldier._

A futile attempt to cheer herself up with a laugh, but all she felt was even more fear by the second.

Sarah put her ear to the door and concentrated hard on listening; the chaotic sounds that came from the hall were less than when she'd awoken, but there were still those of rapid, heavy footsteps and shouts.

Her heart was beating so fast that all she started hearing was her own blood pumping through her veins. She backed away from the door and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

_It's now or never. I have to do this; I just run down the hall, and make it for the stairs and from there I can get to the east bunker._

She quickly shouldered her lucky bag and pocketed a few necessary items, such as her cell phone and a flashlight. Feeling the urgency of the situation in every bone in her body, she took one short glance around the room, checked to see if she was wearing her _Kazama_ necklace, and turned around as she readied her hand on the doorknob.

_I'll be fine; I have to stay cool. Down the hall, toward the stairs._

An uncontrollable tear rolled down her cheek as she turned the knob; upon opening the door everything seemed to go by in slow motion as she looked left to right, taking in the horrible scenery. Fire was spreading from inside the rooms and outward, the halls filling with smoke. People seemed to be running from both directions in fear; soldiers jogging ahead giving orders.

With her mind still in a slow-motion state, Sarah turned right, her legs already moving toward full speed without warning. Soon she was dashing with all the speed her fast legs could carry.

_"… south entrance…"_

Barely hearing the sounds from around her, Sarah ran like a cheetah amidst the chaos of doomsday.

_"Make for the south entrance! South entrance, go!"_

Seeing Tekken force soldiers approaching her in a jog, she noticed they were issuing directions for the people; it was then she noticed everyone was running in the opposite direction she was.

While she was in mid-run, something grabbed and took hold of her arm, and her slow-motion state disappeared just as fast; she almost stumbled and fell to the floor from the grabbing of her arm. Looking up and saw a tall Tekken Force soldier, "Lady, you're heading the wrong way! Make for the south entrance!", and he was turning her around with force as people ran past her following the other soldiers.

"No, please! You don't understand, there's another bunker a few stories down! I have to go there, please!" The soldier had started jogging her back with him, still holding on to her arm as she spoke.

"South entrance miss, it's the closest one. I'm not going to argue on this, move! Everybody, keep heading for the south entrance!" The Tekken Force soldier shouted and picked up speed. Sarah was unsure of what to do; everything was happening too fast, the situation turning into a full-fledged chaos of panic.

Trying to raise her voice above the noise in the hall, she shouted, "Will you stop and _listen_?! I _have_ to go there; I have direct orders from Jin Kazama to go there!" Her frustration and tears had started to show and the soldier appeared to be losing his patience.

"You listen to me very closely; we are at war lady, and I don't have time to stand here arguing over which bunker you want to hide in. Kazama has specifically ordered for all civilians in this area to move to the south bunker, and it is my responsibility as a soldier to get the people to safety. Now, please move!" Another second of delay and she knew he would start shoving her the other way until she walked back with him.

"I can understand that, but I'm… there's a reason for this! Jin _specifically_ told me to head for the _east_ bunker in the case of war raging!" He did not seem to listen to a word she was saying.

"If you're not moving for the south entrance in five seconds, I'm carrying you myself." The soldier seemed much stressed and held a very commanding and impatient tone of voice.

"Who's your boss? Where's your officer in command?!" Sarah's voice held anger and fear all at once and her legs wouldn't stop shaking.

"That would be Alexandersson, miss." Another soldier approached the two from afar and walked up to them.

"What seems to be the problem, Williams?" the newcomer asked his friend-in-combat.

"She claims Kazama specifically asked for her to be transferred to the east bunker, which doesn't make sense." Williams told the other soldier in disbelief.

"I'm sorry miss, we can't make exceptions. We're only following orders; you need to head for the south entrance immediately. You're at a point of no return at this moment; we're already sealing off the other side of this building as we speak. We need to take you people to the nearest bunker, and that would be the south bunker. Please, miss. Right this way." The newcomer seemed did his best to be polite in spite of the hectic situation, but Sarah wasn't ready to give in just yet.

_I need to do something!_

"This isn't happening; you have to let me go!" Sarah demanded.

As Williams hung his weapon around his shoulder and prepared to carry her back to the south entrance, Sarah backed away and faced him in a fighting position.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me." Said Williams as he rolled his eyes and turned to look at the other soldier.

"Don't you dare touch me! You wanna stop me? Then you'll have to fight me! Either way I'm going to the east bunker, and that's that!" The very thought of going off against a Tekken Force soldier frightened the living daylights out of her. She knew he wouldn't hurt her much, as he was only trying to get her to safety. He was only following orders, she knew that perfectly well, but she needed to make sense of why Jin had asked her to go to the east bunker in specific; why had Lars chosen the south? Was it really impossible to go to the east entrance at this point?

There must have been a good reason for Jin to ask her to go to the east bunker; why they were ordered by Lars to head for the south entrance, she could not understand.

"Miss, you do understand what you're about to get yourself into? I'm going to have to take you down, cuff you, and you'll still end up going to the south bunker." Williams said, still standing next to the other soldier.

"I don't care what happens to me; if Jin says I have to head for the east bunker, there must be a very good reason for it. And I intend to do what he asked of me!" Sarah said frightened and alert.

"We don't have time for this. Fujiwara?" Williams said and Sarah noticed how the other soldier wasn't standing next to Williams anymore.

_What on earth?_

"On it," Fujiwara's calm voice said from behind Sarah and in a split-second he was holding back her arms and cuffing her wrists.

"No, stop! Don't do this! Let me go! Please, don't do this!" Sarah screamed and started kicking herself free from Fujiwara's hold who was trying to keep her still.

"Let's go, lady." Fujiwara said and firmly, but not too harshly, grabbed her arm to turn her around to move for the south entrance.

_Jin I'm sorry…_

Deciding she wouldn't be able to escape the soldiers, she let them lead her to the south entrance.

"Head down the stairs like everyone else, and two soldiers will be waiting for everyone evacuated by the entrance!" Fujiwara said out loud over the noise, as he turned her around to uncuff her.

"_Fujiwara! Code red, 6 o'clock!_" Williams shouted and was already running back down the hall; multiple shots were fired and in less than three seconds there were sounds of hundred of shots firing through the hall, empowering Doppler's effect, full circle.

Sarah shook her hands, which were still cuffed behind her back and felt a rush of dread.

"No, wait! Wait, you can't leave me like this! Wait, sir I'm still cuffed! Hey!" She shouted and turned around; upon registering what the soldiers were running toward, she immediately started jumping down the stairs, two at a time; the agile robots' almost nailing her with three shots per second.

Reaching the entrance, almost out of breath, she expected to see the soldiers like Fujiwara had said, but the place was abandoned. Sarah's watery eyes searched left and right as she carefully walked up to the double glass doors of the building. The doors were set electronically, and would open when you stepped toward them as the sensor felt movement, but what she was seeing were doors wide open and still as rocks infront of her.

Sarah dared to walk through and was briefly hit by a wave of intense heat, her eyes registering the orange color of fire, blurring in the distance. That's when the sounds and war-engaging soldiers shooting against the opposing force were heard. Strange-looking robots roamed the streets and there were still some people running and screaming for shelter amidst the chaos.

Turning around, Sarah closed her eyes and slumped against the entrance wall and burst out in tears. She started crying, her cuffed hands making her shoulders ache as they shook.

_I don't understand, what's happening? Dear God, what's going on…?_

"_Forward! Team A fall back! Fall back!_" A familiar voice reached her ears but she was too caught up in fear and sadness; her crying her heart out was shutting out any action she would've taken otherwise.

"_Kazama, that's a negative; I can't find her! The building has been run over by G-corp. forces, and I checked the dead bodies on my way. I don't think she could have made it to the east bunker by the time I was searching for her. Over._"

"_I have to find her; are you at the south entrance? Over._"

Sarah ceased her crying with widened eyes upon hearing Jin's last name. She tried to concentrate only on listening, holding her breath to stop the uncontrollable sobbing.

"_Positive. It's still possible to come through the alley from the back, over._"

"_I'm heading toward you as we speak! Over and out._"

_Lars?_

Gathering all her strength, she got to her feet and turned around from the wall she was leaning against. As if in a hazy dream, one too good to be true, a man in a familiar red armor and black cape stood a few feet away, refastening what seemed to be a walkie-talkie radio.

Finding her luck hard to believe, Sarah immediately ran without thinking, in a near-shocking state, up to the man as he was turning around. She crashed the side of her head into his chest in an embracing manner, her hands still cuffed behind her back.

Grabbing her by her aching arms, Lars felt a surge of relief as he spoke, "Sarah!" he burst out as embraced her tightly.

_You're safe… you're still safe._

Crying again, Sarah found herself unable to speak but was more than relieved she'd stumbled upon Lars. Upon embracing her, Lars noticed her arms were behind her back as he felt his way down to her hands.

_Why is she cuffed?_

"Sarah, hey; sweetheart, it's alright now, I'm taking you to safety." He let go of her and wiped her tears that wouldn't stop streaming down her cheeks, and cupped it.

"Listen to me, Sarah. We have to move, and fast; I'm waiting for Kazama, he's on his way. You're going to be safe; this'll all be over soon." He gave her a quick and gentle kiss on her trembling lips and asked her to turn around. Fishing out a strange object, he unlocked her cuffs and threw them away.

Quickly embracing him again, this time with her arms around his waist, she attempted to speak in-between sobs and a dry throat.

"I tried, this, why? This war, why…" Her cut-off sentences ended up yet again by her crying, yet this time in a silent manner.

"Sarah—" Lars began, trying to comfort her.

"Alexandersson, get her out of here!" Jin's commanding voice was loud, clear and controlled, but sounded very urgent and concerned all in one as he jogged up to Lars.

Lars immediately grabbed Sarah by her hand and quickly turned around upon hearing Jin's voice, ready and alert.

"Jin!" Said Sarah as she hugged him with whatever strength she had left in her weak arms. He embraced her tightly and stayed that way for a few seconds before letting go as he held her hand and turned his attention back at Lars.

"Listen; if there was ever a time I needed an important favor from you, this is it. _I want her safe._ You make sure she's safe, Lars. And then I want you back at the front lines. I'm counting on you." This came to be only the second time in the years he had known Jin that Lars had seen his friend so serious.

"I'll guard her with my life." Lars earnestly said and took Sarah by the hand and held it tightly. Metal objects were flying from one side to the other, the struggle of forces noisier than ever as buildings and other objects caught fire and crashed to the ground.

"Jin…" Lars voice demanded Jin's complete attention.

"_Shinpai shinaide;_ _watashi ga soko e iki masu_. [1]" Lars calmly said. Jin looked strong and alert, and looked straight into Lars' eyes as the latter spoke.

Sarah had never heard Lars call Jin by his first name, the sort of respect the two men had for each other was always so flawless. Hearing Lars call Jin by his first name opened her eyes even further to how serious the situation was getting.

The two friends each brought a fist forward, their gentle strike connecting their fists in a bond of trust and fellowship, as if they weren't going to see each other again. Their faces barely held any expressions but the look in their eyes was serious and genuine. They immediately walked past each other without another word, Lars firmly holding on to Sarah's hand as he paced ahead.

Looking back one last time as she quickly walked away with Lars, Sarah bid Jin a heartfelt _goodbye_ in her heart as she watched his retreating figure, her heart wildly hammering against her ribcage.

_Be safe._

* * *

"Up here!" Lars calmly said in an urgent manner and helped her up on higher ground at the side of the building. Climbing up after her, he took her hand once more and kept walking between the two buildings.

"Wait," he ordered as they stopped by the corner of the building, Lars slowly and carefully peeking to his right to make sure it was clear to keep moving.

"Alright, let's hurry, come on." They turned right and Lars started jogging which made her even more nervous than she already was.

Stopping by the back of the south entrance, Lars stopped and signaled for her to wait as he repeated the same cautious procedure of clearing the area.

"Okay." He said after a few seconds and they started to jog on again, only—

"No, get back! Back to the entrance!" Lars shouted and motioned with his hand as he pushed her backward while shielding her; two of the robotic creatures had turned in on their path and were coming toward them at full speed.

"_Sarah run! Get away!_" Sarah quickly turned around and ran as she pumped her arms for speed, but suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground and hurt her knee on a sharp rock. Wincing from the pain, she glanced back and saw Lars dashing away from her, toward one of the machines, while the other robot was heading toward her at full speed.

Too shocked from the robot's speed to be able to move, she suddenly saw the world in a state of slow-motion again, hearing her heart pumping wildly like beating drums under water. Then a greater amount of adrenaline kicked in and she numbly tried to stand up to start running, but her leg wouldn't respond.

Looking back again in fearful, watering eyes, Sarah saw the creature standing still three feet away as it readied its weapon with a laser eye pointed at her forehead as she desperately tried to stand up with one leg.

Shaking from fear and rush of adrenaline, she finally managed to limp forward on the slippery, rain-soaked ground, something suddenly jumped on her back and pounded her down to the ground with a harsh and heavy blow. Hitting the ground with her hands infront of her face, her head was cushioned by her hands yet the blow made her dizzy all the same. Turning her head the other side, she witnessed in horror as a third robot had made its way from behind Lars.

And the machine gun fired.

"_No!_" her echoing shout was barely audible above the sound of the machine guns and noise of the war; feeling as if time had stopped and her heart had stopped beating, her blood drained cold as she watched in horror when the bullets tore through Lars' body like a doll at a target range, blood spattering everywhere.

_Do you believe in fate?_

"_Lars!_" Her long and pleading scream pierced the very core of his soul, tears of disappointment blurring his vision as he took his last, few and uneven breaths.

"_Lars!_" Not wanting to believe what she was seeing, she kept crying out his name in tears until his body fell to the ground and the sound of the robot's machine gun slowly stopped.

Still lying on the ground with something heavy on-top of her, she cried out loud as she tried to haul herself forward with her elbows toward Lars, her sight as blurry as that of a grain-stormy bottom of an ocean.

"_No, no, no, Lars, no…_" Sarah mumbled, forgetting her surroundings and what was on her back as she struggled to move. All she could think about was to get to Lars, to the man she had fallen in love with; the man who kept saving her life over and again.

_I believe that everything that happens does so for a reason. Everything must have a purpose, some sort of meaning._

"_No_," hauling once, "_no,_" hauling twice; a dry, hoarse voice as it was all she managed to repeat in-between her crying and sobbing, her mind numbly refusing to believe what had just happened as she gave every last ounce of strength she had to reach Lars' spasming body on the ground.

_I'm certain though; this particular path of mine must be a blessed one. _

_I met you._

* * *

**A/n:** Thank you so much for your reviews once again, they drive me forward as always!

**Translation of Japanese words used**

1 – _Shinpai shinaide; watashi ga soko e iki masu._ – Don't worry, I'll meet you there.


	7. Chapter 7

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

**A/n**: Been a long time! But I'm finally done with chapter seven. Here's hoping you'll enjoy it. :)

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Rays of sunlight made their way through the window of a quiet room, the sounds of chirping birds yet in silence in the still of the early, chilly morning.

Slowly opening her eyes, and blinking a few times, Sarah turned her head to the side and gently yawned. Soon she noticed the foreign surroundings and tensed.

_This isn't my room…_

Judging by the hospital equipment in the room she decided it had to be the infirmary, for in the past she had been in a room just like the one she was presently in.

Struggling to sit up, putting the weight on her arms, they gave way immediately; she noticed how weak and powerless they felt.

_What am I doing here? I'm... wearing a hospital dress…?_

Deep in thoughts, she eyed her outfit a while longer before turning to look to her right and was briefly startled to see someone sitting on a chair next to her. Her heart hammered wildly though she kept still, her eyes wide open.

_Jin?_

"Jin?" Sarah finally whispered and noticed how dry her throat was. No reply came. He appeared to be sleeping; his head slumped back on the chair next to the bed. Struggling to sit up she finally managed to lean back in a sitting position, her back supported against the many pillows behind her.

The room was so quiet she thought she was starting to hear her own heartbeats; Jin for that matter never made any sound when he slept.

Looking back toward Jin she noticed a colourful bouquet of flowers on the bedside table. A card lie next to the vase; she reached for it, reading:

_"Get well soon! We love you!"_

She opened it and saw many names in different handwritings; based on those she figured the flowers and the card were from her friends and people she knew. Some names even had a cute smiley next to them, or a simple word or sentence: Xiaoyu's had one of the cute smilies next to her name. Jin's words said "thinking of you"; it made her smile.

Other names were Hwoarang, Christie, King, Eddy, Marshall and Paul. Even Nina had signed the card, which surprised her. Finally her eyes settled on Steve's name and her smile faded and she sighed; she was happy his name was on it, but seeing it only made her remember the mess in the past.

_Looks like Asuka signed it as well..._

_Lars!_

Her eyes quickly and desperately scanned the card for Lars' name as she briefly, and very suddenly, had a vivid memory flash.

_Oh my God, the _war_! There was a war! And…_

Still scanning through the names, faster yet more thoroughly than before, her eyes began to blur and she felt a lump in her throat.

"Please, be there." A drop of liquid fell on the card and startled her; she then realized it was a tear.

_Lars..._

Searching again and again till she had begun feeling dizzy, Sarah gave up on finding Lars' name on the card and gave a shaky sigh. She put the card back on the bedside table and covered her face with her hands.

_I _must_ have been dreaming, it couldn't have been real. Lars is a warrior, he wouldn't… a dream, a dream is all it was…_

Mentally she kept trying to convince herself that what she was remembering was only a part of a dream. But her lying on a bed in the infirmary kept fighting those false hopes back; the hospital equipment, her sore body and the ultimately vivid memory flashes she began having all told her to wake up to reality.

Rubbing her eyes to rid them of unshed tears, she hugged her worried stomach and started to feel sick as she gently rocked herself back and forth; blurry images of Lars' lifeless body on the ground and the way he was killed played in her head like a film.

_God, please... I'm begging you..._

Raindrops started whipping against the roof and the window, and it soon turned into a complete downpour.

She turned to look at the sleeping Jin and gazed at his handsome face for a while before her uneasiness engulfed the calm of the quiet room.

"Jin? Jin, wake up! Jin!" Frustrated, sad and anxious, Sarah shook him by his knee and called his name out loud. Bringing his head forward in a split-second, his eyes shot wide open, Jin saw the wall at the far end of the room before his eyes settled on Sarah. He seemed surprised, startled and confused all at the same time.

"Sarah, hey; you're awake." He said as he quickly got off the chair and sat on the side of the bed, next to her. He held her hand and managed a smile as he removed a few strands of hair from her face.

"I'm so glad you're awake; how are you feeling?" He could only think of her health, but knew perfectly well what he needed to be ready for at any minute; her questions of the whereabouts of Lars and what had happened. Jin immediately tried to distract her but was genuinely relieved and happy she was going to be okay.

Seeing her eyes filling up with tears, her radiating sadness piercing his heart, Jin's attempt for a smile faded and he merely stared at her as he held her hand.

"Sarah..." Jin spoke gently and felt his throat tighten, not knowing what to say to the sight in front of him; her pretty face held an expression too sad for him to absorb.

"Tell me he's okay. That's all I care about. That's all I want to know. Tell me he's okay_..._" Her last words got choked up yet not once did her composure falter; her crying eyes not blinking once as she gazed into Jin's. He noticed how she struggled to appear strong and brave.

Finding the subject too difficult to talk about, Jin lowered his gaze as his brown eyes darted left to right, his mind trying to assemble appropriate words.

He found none.

Hugging her knees, Sarah went back to gently rocking back and forth, her chin resting on her knees as she gazed at the door on the far wall infront of her.

"Where is he; in another room? Is he in a coma? Tell me he's still breathing the same air I'm breathing." She turned to face him.

"Please just take me to Lars. I want to see him, Jin-chai. I want to see him so bad it hurts inside..." Her voiced pitched a tiny bit louder as she sobbed and wiped her tears again and again.

Not knowing how to begin or what to say, Jin still wouldn't look at her; the tension of the moment was too harsh to handle.

"Jin Kazama." He refused yet again to look at her and noticed how shaky and frightened her voice sounded.

"_Onegai_? [1]" A quiet whisper, then sobbing.

A sudden slap to his face made Jin look up at Sarah immediately, wide-eyed. Her eyes were glassy from tears, lips trembling and cheeks dusted pink.

Having locked gazes in silence for a few seconds, Sarah immediately looked away from Jin and brought her sore legs back up as she rested her forehead on her knees, hugging them.

And she cried.

"Don't... please." Her crying was very quiet but judging from her nails digging into her legs, her knuckles white as snow, he strongly sensed her inner turmoil.

Upsetting her was the last thing Jin wanted to do considering her current state, but he knew she'd remember Lars sooner or later; luck uncalled for, he now unwillingly had to deal with it sooner rather than later.

"We'll get through this somehow, _Nini_..." He stroked the back of her head and quickly held her in a tight embrace when her crying became louder.

"I want to see Lars; tell me where he is. I want to hear his voice." Like a child wanting to reunite with its mother, Sarah cried and pleaded over and over again to see the man she loved so much.

_I want to listen to his heartbeats._

She sharply inhaled oxygen in-between her sentences and sobbing, the nature of her behaviour seemingly turning into that of a person in denial: she was semi-refusing to accept the situation. Or maybe it was that last single glow of hope she hadn't lost yet; a hope that Lars, by some miracle, had made it back alive.

Her struggling to speak in the midst of her chaotic sadness brought forth a tear that uncontrollably rolled down Jin's cheek as he held her shivering body.

_I'm so sorry. For everything..._

Not only was he carrying the weight of _her_ loss on his tired shoulders; he was most importantly carrying his own burden of sadness, his closest friend's life taken in a sudden, useless war. His emotions were now trying to bubble up to the surface but he did his best to fight them back and keep calm.

On any other night, the sound of the rain would have soothed Sarah's mind, but nothing she did to try to distract her from the reality of the situation worked in favour; she clung to Jin with all her might.

"It's okay, hey look at me." He carefully pushed her fragile body backward and removed a few strands of hair, yet again, from her now tear-wet face as he gently cupped it with his hands.

"It's okay to cry and be sad; to be feeling what you feel." His tone of voice was serious and determined, yet gentle.

"But if you do so then do it to mourn. Don't let your memories destroy you." His sincere and gentle eyes gazed right into her sad and hopeless ones, showing her what a caring heart he possessed.

Sobbing a few more times, Sarah circled her arms around his neck and brought her forehead to his as she closed her eyes. Gently caressing the back of his neck, she took a deep, shaky breath and spoke.

"I'm so sorry, Jin-chai." Jin kept gazing at her closed eyelids, wondering what emotions her heart had yet to speak.

"What for?" Jin sincerely replied.

"... for being so selfish with all my questions. Not once have I stopped to ask how you're feeling and tried to soothe your sad heart." Another blow to her already beat-up soul; she never thought of the fact that Jin must be shattered inside as well. Lars was like a brother to Jin and was the closest friend Jin had ever had. Aside from that, Lars was the finest Tekken Force officer ever known.

Was Lars really gone though? Her jumbled feelings and memory flashes were eating at her heart like termites; the unknown was destroying her from the inside and she surely did wonder, not for the first time, if Lars could have, by some sort of miracle, made it back alive.

A sudden image of Lars smiling displayed itself in her head, and she fought the tears back as she tried to calm her hammering, saddened heart.

Wooden wind chimes played beautifully to the strong wind outside whilst the rain wouldn't stop pouring down. Sarah listened intently as they were the only sounds she heard in the quiet room.

Leaning in she embraced him tightly by the neck and retreated back to face him. She held his hands in hers and looked down as she spoke.

"_'Live not for yesterday or hopes of tomorrow. Live today as if it's your last, and thank God for what you still have_'. Lars said that to me when I was down and sad one day. He was so sincere when he said it; it made me think about my life." Jin wondered if there was something in particular she was implying by quoting Lars and mentioning some of her memories with him.

"I didn't know Lars was religious?" Jin said with curiosity at the new piece of information. Sarah merely stared at him before looking down again, and then:

"I didn't know at first either, because he never showed any sign of it or seemed the type. But as we got closer, one day he told me what he believed in. He'd been a Christian all his life, and emphasised how he never let a day pass where he didn't thank God for everything good in his life." She said and looked up to meet Jin's eyes.

"I know his mother is a Christian, but I never figured Lars would be." Jin said and shifted his position to relieve the cramps he was starting to feel. When he gazed back at Sarah he saw how shocked she looked.

"You've met his _mother_?" She said surprised and anxiously waited for Jin to explain.

"Well, yes I have. On many occasions, actually. You seem surprised?" He replied.

"It's just I've never met anyone from his family, but I suppose he never got a chance to tell me about them." She felt sad and lowered her gaze again.

"I don't know much about his family, and his mother is the only family member I've met, since she lives in Japan nowadays. He never spoke of his father or mentioned any siblings." Jin said and remembered his many conversations with Lars.

"Tell me, what is she like? What's her name?" Sarah said and focused eagerly; she sounded very curious. Jin faintly smiled and spoke.

"Frida Sara Alexandersson. She's the most kind-hearted, bright person you'll ever meet. Lars resembles her in so many ways, you can't even imagine. You can tell they're family quite instantly."

"I bet she's beautiful." Sarah said softly.

"Blonde and blue-eyed, just like Lars. And yes, she is; she also looks younger than she really is."

"How old is she?"

"Mid-forties, I think..." He said and searched his pockets for something.

"I must've left my wallet at my office; I have a photo with Lars, his mother and I on it where we're at her place by the garden. I could show it to you later if you want." Jin said and stopped patting his pockets.

"Has she ever been around here before?" Sarah asked thoughtfully.

"Once or twice, before you came to live here. She lives near the coast, so Lars rarely got the chance to see her very often. It's a big cottage near the sea with a beautiful garden next to it, which she loves working in." He said and sighed.

A sudden silence engulfed the room; the sound of the rain got heavier and it sounded like a rainstorm what with the strong winds.

"She doesn't know, does she?" She broke the silence and dared meet his eyes saying those words, feeling sadder by the second.

Jin remained silent but didn't look away from Sarah.

"You... she should know, Jin." She said and instantly her sight became blurry from tears again. He looked away.

"I don't know how or what to say... every day I tell myself 'I'll tell her tomorrow' but no words you say to a mother who's lost a child will ever sound just and fair. I don't think I can stand seeing her heart shatter to pieces when she hears her, probably only, child is gone." Jin said and sounded disappointed.

"Jin..." She stroked his cheek.

"I'm afraid to tell her, Sarah. I can't... what do I say..." She embraced him tightly and heard him sobbing ever so gently; her tears fell one after the other when she heard his sad voice.

Never before had she seen Jin so fragile and hopeless; he was always so strong, brave and determined in life. And he never cried. Ever. The only time she'd seen him with unshed tears was when one time she'd followed him to what later turned out to be his late mother's grave.

He'd said a few words in Japanese, put a beautiful bouquet of flowers on the tombstone and lit a candle next to it.

She knew how much his mother had meant to him; he'd told her things not even his fiancée Xiaoyu knew, and Jin visited his mother's grave as often as he could.

"The truth, Jin. The complete truth. She has the right to know... we have to take care of her." Sarah stroked his back with her hands and looked outside the window at the pouring rain.

"Jin...?"

"...Hmm?"

"It was G-corp. forces, wasn't it? The war..." She remembered the soldiers and the robot-like forces; the smoke and how the sounds of panic had pierced her then shivering soul.

"Yeah... after Lars had taken your hand to lead you to safety, the Tekken Force had pretty much started to push G-corp. forces back; much thanks to Lars leading the teams strategically at a very early stage of the attack." He said and sighed.

"Saved us big time, which is why we made it in the end without him at the front lines." Jin remembered the last words he'd exchanged with Lars before they both departed on their own path; he'd asked Lars to take care of Sarah, and Lars had said he'd protect her with his life. And clear as day, he'd done just that; giving his life to save hers.

Sarah started crying again, Jin could tell so from her shaking body and how she sharply sobbed for air in-between.

"He told me to go back, Jin... he... told me and I ran. I ran so _fast_... never looked back till I fell..." Jin tried to hush her crying as he gently stroked her hair and held her tightly.

"It's okay. It's alright, Sarah. He's resting now..." Jin said but she appeared to have a hard time ceasing her sudden crying.

" ... next thing I know, next thing he's so far away. So far away and he..." She tightly grabbed his shirt while she spoke, her tense body refusing to relax as she tried to sort out her feelings.

"And he's surrounded... he's—I saw the bullets tear through, Jin... _through his body_..." Her voice quieted down to give way to crying again.

Jin felt so sad he found it difficult to comfort Sarah like he normally would have. He, himself, still couldn't believe Lars was gone. He felt empty and sometimes even lost and alone; he found no comfort in anything at all.

It wasn't just the fact that Lars was gone; it was the way he'd died; it wasn't right. His now solid absence was surreal.

_Lars... what happened...?_

An uncomfortable feeling interrupted Jin's thoughts; something solid was pushing painfully against his chest because of their tight embrace. He let go of Sarah to see if it was her Kazama necklace he'd given her or if it was something else she was wearing that was hurting him.

He pulled back and saw that she _was_ wearing the Kazama necklace, as usual. But he also noticed something else; a delicate golden necklace around her neck, which he hadn't noticed earlier. On it hung what seemed to be a ring in gold. Jin couldn't help but touch the beautiful ring as held it between his index finger and thumb to take a closer look.

Sarah looked at Jin wide-eyed as she wiped her tear-struck face.

"_'Alltid din, Lars.'_[2]" Jin read the foreign indentation on the inside of the ring with a strange accent and frowned with interest when he saw Lars' name on it. He gazed into Sarah's brown eyes for an answer.

"It's beautiful… what does it say?" Jin asked as he eyed the elegant indentation again. Sarah seemed to be in some sort of shock; the kind where a kid has been caught red-handed, stealing a cookie from the forbidden cookie jar.

"Sarah?"

"Um… it's, that's just um… when, if it's, I got—"

"Sarah."

She went silent, cheeks flushed.

"You're not making any sense." Jin said gently. She merely stared at him, stiff as a rock.

"What does the indentation say; is it in Swedish? I can already figure out it's from Lars since his name is on it, but '_Alltid din'_ is foreign to me." Jin struggled yet again to pronounce the foreign words and let go of the ring as it gently bounced back against her chest.

Her fingers gripped the ring and she looked at it and read the words in her head. A dozen memory flashes immediately played in her head, all in a split-second; among those, a memory of the night of her most recent birthday which she had spent with Lars till early morning, mostly at his place. That night, Lars had done something she had never in her wildest dreams expected him to do.

"It says 'Y_ours forever, Lars_'. He… gave it to me on my birthday." She wouldn't face him and felt embarrassed, and in a way panicked about what she knew she ultimately had to let him in on.

"On my birthday, after taking me out to dinner and other things we did together, we went back to his place, and…" She felt Jin's strong gaze at her and still wouldn't dare meet it. She stopped and hesitated.

"I'm listening." He said gently and broke the sudden silence. His serious voice urged her to continue, much to her hesitant will.

"… he proposed to me. And I said 'yes' and it was the happiest day of my life." A tear rolled down her vaguely pink cheeks as she raised her gaze to meet his eyes.

Jin looked shocked and kept staring at her, but said nothing.

"He wanted to ask you for my hand in marriage, Jin, but was afraid it would change something between you and him. I never quite understood why he was so hesitant; he told me it wouldn't feel right if he didn't ask you first, and since he knew about our past relationship he was hesitant to ask and kept postponing it." She said and covered her face with her hands; the memory of his proposal was the most vivid memory she had and under the circumstances it made her want to cry rivers.

Jin gently cleared his throat before speaking: "I see… well I… I'm truthfully shocked." Sarah's voice was shaky as she sighed, muffled behind her delicate hands that covered her face.

"I never thought about you guys ever marrying this soon, or marrying at all. He must've truly loved you then for proposing so early in your relationship." Jin said.

"He didn't have to ask for my permission, you know." He stroked her hair as her hands were still covering her face. His heart was hammering at the surprising news.

"I'm so sorry, Sarah. For everything. I know how much you loved eachother; he adored you so much. To the point where he actually started talking to me about it on some occasions." He made her cry again; bad move. It wasn't an easy situation, and he struggled to make her feel better.

After a minute had passed and she had calmed down, she attempted to speak: "We… we decided to wear the rings on a necklace until further notice. Since he didn't want it out in the open until he'd spoken with you first. So we decided to keep it a secret…" She said and looked at him with sad eyes.

"I understand." He said and went quiet as he held her hand and looked out the window.

"He wasn't wearing any necklace when we picked up his… body." He hesitated upon saying the last word and spoke as gently as possible.

"No ring on his finger either, not even his Lion ring which he always wears on his right index finger. That was weird, though." Jin said and remembered the day he'd searched his body for personal belongings to collect for his mother.

"What?" She sounded surprised and he faced her.

"No, he was wearing the engagement ring around his neck, on a necklace just like mine. I saw it when we rushed to get to a safe place, right after you had told him to take me to safety." She said with a stressed voice.

"Really? Well we found nothing on him, I'm sorry. Are you sure? Maybe he'd left it in his bedroom or something before the… although it doesn't make sense. Why should he leave it in the midst of a war?" Jin said and trailed off.

"I want that ring, Jin. Please, we have to find it." Her tone was urgent and she inched slightly closer to Jin as she spoke.

"I'm not sure that's possible, Sarah. I've searched all his personal belongings; everything. There is no engagement ring and oddly enough, not even the ring with the lion." He looked sympathetic and at the same time he wondered where the ring could be.

"We have to f—" Sarah's words were suddenly interrupted by knocks on the door.

A female doctor in her mid-fifties entered; she was tall, slim and had a kind face and was wearing a white doctor's coat. She held a bunch of papers in her hands.

"Sorry for the interruption. Sarah, I'm doctor Ryuzaki; how are you feeling?" Even her voice was kind, but also determined. The woman walked toward Sarah and Jin, who were sitting on the bed; the doctor's claques echoing in the quiet room.

"I feel pretty sore and weak…" Sarah said and looked at the doctor.

"You shouldn't be up and moving so much quite yet. And I'd advise not to have so much company all the time; you have to rest too you know." Ryuzaki looked at Jin and smiled and he understood.

"I want to talk to you about your health and some other personal issues, if Kazama-san wouldn't mind coming back to see you later?" The doctor's eyes darted between Sarah and Jin before Jin decided to speak.

"It's okay, of course. I can come back at a later hour—" He stood up from the bed and was interrupted mid-sentence.

"No. Please, stay Jin. It's okay doctor Ryuzaki, I want him to stay. I don't keep anything health-related a secret from him." Sarah said and looked at the woman sitting infront of her.

"I understand, but I _really_ think we should—"

"No, please. Whatever it is, Jin can know. I want him here." Sarah sounded determined so after hesitating for a while, the woman gave up and agreed.

"Well, as I said you're going to need a lot of rest and a lot of water. I've put you off the medication since it's been two weeks already and you're improving. Your vitals are fine and you should be able to leave in another week or so at the earliest. I'd give it a week and a half though, just to be on the safe side."

"It's been two weeks since the attack?! How can that be, when—"

"You were in a coma. You woke up two hours ago before you fell asleep again." Jin replied with a faint smile.

"A coma? Dear God…" She looked down and took a deep breath. She held a hand to her heart.

"You were lucky to wake up. Many people never wake up from a coma, and this gentleman here and a few others never left your side. They told you stories every day." Ryuzaki said and smiled; her jade eyes were clear and understanding.

Sarah finally smiled and it made Jin's heart relax a tenfold more.

"Anyway, what I came to tell you more was that… I have great news." The doctor said in a calm and eager manner.

"Really? What is it?" Sarah asked with a halfhearted smile and looked at Jin before returning her gaze to the doctor.

"You're pregnant."

* * *

**A/n**: Thank you so much for your reviews once again! Also, I realize what I've done to Lars, but patience is a virtue, avid readers! Stay tuned! ;)

**Translation of Japanese and Swedish words used**

1 – _Onegai_ – Please

2 – _Alltid din, Lars_ – Yours forever/always, Lars


	8. Chapter 8

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

* * *

**Chapter 8**

"You're pregnant." Doctor Ryuzaki said to Sarah and smiled at her. Jin was still standing next to the bed, his blazer hanging on his forearm, and as shocked as he'd ever been when he heard the news.

A barely audible _what_ escaped Sarah's lips and her eyes immediately widened; she looked like she'd seen a ghost. Her smile disappeared and she stared at the woman infront of her, the sudden silence pardoning only the sound of the rain outside.

"There is a baby growing in there." The woman said smiling and gently put her hand on Sarah's belly, which made the latter lower her gaze to it.

_I'm carrying his baby…_

Ryuzaki pulled her hand back and turned to her side and looked at Jin, still smiling.

"Who's the father?" The doctor asked and gazed back and forth between Jin and Sarah.

_Our baby… oh Lars, we have a baby…_

"I—Sarah…!" Jin quickly walked up to Sarah and embraced her as she burst out in tears; facing Ryuzaki he gave her a serious look in spite of him still being shocked at the news.

"Oh, dear heart don't cry! The baby's perfectly healthy and is showing remarkable activity!" Ryuzaki merrily said to Sarah as the latter kept crying.

"Hey, it's alright…" With Sarah in his embrace, Jin gently and slowly rocked back and forth, stroking her back. Slightly nodding toward Sarah, he asked for a min alone with her; Ryuzaki nodded in agreement as she got to her feet and stepped outside.

He let a minute or two pass before carefully pulling back and held Sarah by her shoulders: her gaze was lowered and she looked completely drained and sobbed occasionally.

"Sarah, what's going on?" He said in a low and calm tone of voice as he raised her head by holding her chin up with his index finger.

She merely stared at Jin, her eyes red from exhaustion and crying.

"Lars is the father, isn't he?" Jin asked as gently as he could and patiently waited for her answer.

"I… I never thought—we were…" She had started babbling again, her words incoherent as she tried to explain. Suddenly she blushed and stopped talking, which made Jin embrace her once again; gently clearing his throat he said:

"… you were careful?" He said as if to complete her sentence whereas she nodded to confirm. She was glad he was embracing her for she felt so embarrassed she was sure the shade of red on her cheeks would out win that of a red rose.

"Well, obviously you two weren't careful enough." He said and earned a punch on his chest as he chuckled.

"Oh, Jin!" Sarah said and sobbed; he tried so hard to cheer her up, even amidst his own shock at the news. She loved him dearly for it.

"_Itai._ [1]" Jin playfully said and chuckled again as he pulled back and looked at her. Reaching for her belly he gently touched it and smiled.

"You'll be okay; both of you will. Don't worry, Sarah." She put her hand on his and looked up to meet his eyes; he was genuinely smiling as he gazed at her belly.

_What about my baby being fatherless…_

"Must be a few weeks old, it's starting to show, you know." Jin said and met her gaze with his; he stopped smiling when he saw her shedding tears yet again.

_Lars… I don't know what to feel anymore… _

"I'm scared…" She said and shed another tear.

"Sarah, you're not alone. We're here for you, especially me and Xiao. I'm certain even Julia and Asuka would be glad to help out." He stroked her cheek and dried her tears, understanding perfectly well what she was feeling.

_You're still here with me… still a part of you inside me, Lars…_

"You're going to be a wonderful mother. And Lars' mother will be thrilled to hear she has a grandson, don't you think?" Jin said as they heard the familiar knocking on the door again; it was doctor Ryuzaki.

"Sorry for interrupting again." Ryuzaki closed the door behind her and walked up to the duo.

"Are we feeling any better now?" She had the gentlest tone of voice as she dragged the nearby chair next to the bed and sat on it.

"Somewhat." Jin answered and smiled as he looked at Sarah; the latter faintly smiled at Ryuzaki and Jin, sighing as she placed a few bangs behind her ears.

"There is something important I need to talk to you about, Sarah. It concerns the baby." The woman instantly put on a serious face and looked at Sarah.

"What is it; is there something wrong?" Sarah replied with a worried voice and held onto Jin's hand with both of hers.

"Well, no. There's nothing _wrong_; however there are certain facts you should be aware of." Ryuzaki now gazed at Jin who eagerly listened to what the doctor had to say.

"Kazama-san, I wanted to talk to you about this in private at first, but since it ultimately concerns Sarah as well I'll just let you both know right away; maybe you can fill her in on some background-story after I deliver the details." Looking down as she searched for a specific sheet amongst all the papers in her hand, Ryuzaki finally found what she was looking for.

"Background story?" Sarah asked and looked at Jin, confused. Ryuzaki spoke before Jin could reply.

"Sarah, first and foremost I need you to tell me the name of the baby's father, please." Ryuzaki said and looked up from the papers in her hand, her gaze meeting Sarah's.

"I… his name is—_was_ Lars Alexandersson… I'm very sure it's his baby." Sarah replied and lowered her gaze yet again at the mention of his name.

"Oh! Yes, I know who Mr Alexandersson is! Outstanding officer and a rather handsome fellow I might add. Very well-mannered." The doctor seemed unaware of Lars' death in the war.

"I haven't met him since the war; he was supposed to come see me as soon as he could." The woman said as she looked to the window and then back to Jin.

"He… unfortunately died during the fallback of the G-corp. forces when the war was coming to an end…" Jin said and sighed, lightly squeezing Sarah's hands by means of comforting her.

"Oh dear, I am so sorry to hear that… so very sorry…" Ryuzaki said and lowered her gaze by means of showing respect to Lars' passing away, before looking up again to meet Sarah's eyes.

"My deepest condolences, Sarah, Jin… I did not know of this…" She said as she put her hand on Sarah's shoulder and looked at Jin. Sarah turned her head and looked away whilst Jin faced Ryuzaki.

"Doctor Ryuzaki, I'm well aware of the patient confidentiality agreement, but was there, roughly speaking, a specific reason for Lars to come see you as often as he did?" He said which caught Sarah's attention.

"Oh, you know about his visits to my office?" The woman perked an eyebrow and vaguely smiled at Jin.

Jin nodded agreement and never blinked or looked elsewhere, his gaze solid, seeking answers to his curious yet concerning questions.

"Well, what I'm about to tell the both of you has to do with his visits as well—"

"But what about the confidentiality agreement?" Sarah interrupted, even though she really wanted to know why Lars had been paying several visits to Jin's personal physician.

"I understand, but this is something Mr Alexandersson wanted you to know in case something happened to him." She replied and immediately her facial expression showed how serious she was.

Sarah seemed frightened and nervous, which Jin saw as he reached to gently stroke her shoulder.

"Sarah, your baby and Lars' , rest his soul, have a very rare and specific gene in common; the reason I know this is, first and foremost, because of Alexandersson's bloodtest results and an extensive research on my part. He came to me wanting this, knowing exactly I was the person to talk to in finding this specific gene." She said and turned to look at Jin as she continued.

"Second, I noticed a very rare and abnormal activity from the baby which immediately had me further my research." Jin interrupted her before she could continue, addressing Sarah.

"Sarah, doctor Ryuzaki and my family go way back; she was my father's and grandfather's personal physician and top private researcher since back then. My mother was the one who raised me, but I saw Ryuzaki on many occasions when she came to see my mother." Jin explained and recalled his many visits to the Mishima empire as a little boy.

Ryuzaki smiled but abruptly widened her eyes in shock as her smile dropped.

"What's this…?" Ryuzaki said in a shocked expression and reached to touch the now glowing Kazama necklace around Sarah's neck.

"I knew it, it _is_ true. Holy heavens…" the doctor exclaimed and let go of the piece.

"It… it's glowing…" Jin said absently as he stared at the fluorescently glowing piece hanging down the necklace. Sarah's shocked gaze followed his.

For about all that he knew, was that the necklace only glowed when his late mother Jun had worn it when she was pregnant with Jin, as to confirm if Jin inherited a certain gene from his father Kazuya. The necklace was made specifically for Jun Kazama by doctor Ryuzaki, by request from Jun at the time of Jun's pregnancy.

"Kazama-san, that's your late mother's personal necklace, isn't it?" Ryuzaki asked and turned her gaze at Jin.

"Yeah, I… I don't get it, why is it glowing all of a sudden? It shouldn't be glowing Ryuzaki-san, I mean it can't glow. If Sarah's carrying Alexandersson's baby, then…" He said and trailed off, his mind on hiatus.

"The gene in common between the baby and Alexandersson is the Mishima 0X49 gene. I have run the tests over and over again and—" Jin interrupted her in haste.

"Are you saying that Alexandersson carried the Mishima 0X49 gene?" He asked, but not in anger.

"Yes, by request of Alexandersson I matched that gene through simple PCR methods; he knew he was carrying the gene. In his case it was a matter of confirming it, especially to me by means of recording it for a future emergency case, such as his tragic and surprising death." The woman calmly said to Jin.

"You do realize what you're implying?" Jin said and frowned. Ryuzaki said nothing as to let him continue.

"You're saying that Lars Alexandersson is _related_ to me, by _blood_. And that's impossible." Jin seemed unusually stressed all of a sudden, but spoke calmly.

"I'm not implying, it's the truth Kazama-san; and yes, Lars Alexandersson _is_ related to you by blood, and his' and Sarah's baby has inherited that gene much like you did from your father Kazuya, when your mother was pregnant with you. The necklace's glow as well as extensive research confirms this." Ryuzaki lowered her gaze and turned a sheet from the many she was holding in a bunch.

"You must've missed something; how is it possible he's related to me, the pieces just don't fit together." Jin said and kept staring at the woman. Sarah put a hand to her belly and took a deep and shaky breath.

"Why is it impossible? Did you ever find out who Alexandersson's father is? Did he ever tell you anything about his family except for who his _Swedish_ mother is?" Ryuzaki pulled one question after the other which left Jin silent. She continued:

"It's not only the research and activity from the baby that fit into this fact; I'll have you know that Lars himself came forth with the fact that he's related to you. Only he and his mother knew this, and he wanted to keep it that way. For reasons unknown to me."

"He told you he was related to me? All that time, he'd been… how is he related to me? If he carried the Mishima gene, then he must be from my father's side of the family." Jin looked so shocked from the news, his face turned pale.

"Believe it or not, he's your uncle; Heihachi's son and Kazuya's half-brother. That's how he's related to you. Please know that this was something Alexandersson wanted you to know only if anything ever happened to him. And the information was originally only addressed to you Kazama-san, but since Sarah is carrying his baby, this concerns her greatly. It is to be kept a secret from anyone else, by request from Alexandersson. He spoke to me in confidence."

"Jin…" Sarah leaned forward and embraced him tightly; she herself was quite shocked at the news and felt like it was all just a dream. Retreating, she looked into Jin's eyes and saw that they were shining from new, unshed tears; a hurtful expression was almost clear on his handsome face.

Sarah cupped his face and kissed him on his cheek as she stroked his bangs; Jin's gaze shot past Sarah, his presence seemingly absent all of a sudden, his eyes staring into the rain-struck window.

"I can't believe it… my uncle, and he never told me…" A voice of hurt, a surprise in his gentle, fading tone.

"Jin-chai, it's okay… he obviously had his reasons, hmm…?" She said and let her hands drop to hold on to his as she was trying to comfort him.

In a sudden movement, Jin's head turned to his left and he looked straight at Ryuzaki as he met her gaze.

"I've known him for _years_. All these years and we eventually became very close friends; all this time and he knew all along… I don't understand the secrecy." Jin said and sighed.

"It may have been by strategic means; as I mentioned, I eventually learned from Alexandersson only he and his mother knew of this fact: his mother kept Lars away from his father, Heihachi, and raised him alone, much like your mother did with you to keep you away from your father Kazuya. She raised Lars on her own in Sweden until he was around 16 years old. After that she moved to Japan and Lars continued his studies there." Pausing, she sipped some water from the glass she'd brought in with her after she'd stepped out.

"Prior to his joining you and later becoming the highly ranked Tekken Force officer that he was, he had just graduated from a top university in Tokyo." Ryuzaki held on to the armchair and backed away against the backrest of the chair, crossing her left leg over the right even as she picked up the pile of papers again.

Gently clearing her throat she said, "Heihachi never knew Lars' mother was pregnant nor did she have any contact whatsoever with Heihachi since she learned of her pregnancy. Heihachi still doesn't know, and Lars probably kept this information from you and everyone else by means of protecting his mother and you, I'm sure." She waited for Jin to speak his mind.

He seemed deep in thought from the doctor's words and decided to say nothing.

"That is also why Lars never sought out his father immediately. His mother, Frida Sara, told Lars who his father was and everything about him, but Lars, by own choice, kept away from Heihachi because of his mother's warnings, even as Lars' age passed that of 23 years. I can only imagine how a child desperately would want to reunite with the father he never had the chance to know or have seeing him grow up as a child." She sighed.

"What with missing out on Lars' first steps, birthday parties and graduation…" She seemed to be relating to Lars' life and kept sighing in a sad manner.

Sarah felt a lump in her throat as she listened to the doctor talk about Lars' life before coming to Japan.

_Oh, sweetheart…_

"Poor soul must've been in pain keeping it a secret from everyone, even though he knew of the evil that was is father. I know he loved his mother dearly, and so he made the choice of protecting her over the want of getting to know his father. His mother raised him well, even though she chose not to keep from her son who his biological father was." Ryuzaki continued and sighed inwardly, feeling sad for everything that had to be Lars' life from beginning to end; he possessed the most protective, kind soul she'd ever encountered, much like Jin's, and it pained her to know it didn't get what it deserved; specifically since Lars' life had met the sudden and abrupt tragic end that it recently had.

Sarah had started crying quietly, her face covered by her hands. Jin scooted next to her and embraced her, understanding her feelings that he shared much of.

"Here you go honey, it's alright; it's not like Lars never had happy moments growing up. And I'm certain he had happy moments with you more than anyone; and knowing he still learned to love and live in the moment tells a lot about his positive view on life." Jin let go of Sarah as Ryuzaki offered her napkins and tried her best to comfort the girl's fragile feelings.

"His view on life was so _wonderful_… and so magical, it still gives me goose-bumps when I think of him…" Sarah said in-between sobs and rubbed her arms from the shivering feeling that was the core of the very soul of Lars Alexandersson. Tears kept rolling down her cheeks in silence as she went quiet.

"It was." Ryuzaki replied in agreement and lowered her gaze; the room went silent and the rain kept pouring outside, like never before.

"This is for you." The doctor said and handed Sarah an envelope, much to Sarah's surprise.

"What's this?" Sarah frowned and wiped the tears from her cheeks. She read her name which was neatly written on the front of the envelope.

"From Lars. It's been sealed since he gave it to me to keep for you." The woman replied and, with a smile, urged Sarah to open it and read the letter.

"Oh…" Sarah said and sighed as she covered her forehead with one hand, as if to make shade from an invisible sun, and lowered her head; feeling a tight lump forming in her throat she took deep breaths in silence for a few seconds to get rid of the nauseating feeling in her gut.

"It's okay, I'm sure there are comforting words in there," Jin whispered and stroked her hair; he noticed her shivering body as she looked up to meet his eyes before turning her gaze at the envelope.

"We'll be outside, sweetheart. Take your time." Jin said as he kissed her forehead and got to his feet as he followed Ryuzaki out the door, giving Sarah some peace and quiet to read the letter.

Hearing the _click _of the door as it closed shut, Sarah gently stroked her index finger on her written name, thinking of Lars and what story the letter told inside the envelope.

_I miss you so much… it's so hard to breathe without you being here…_

_… so lonely, so cold…_

Wiping her tears with her sleeve, she carefully ripped the back of the envelope from the stearine lump etched on the paper as she opened the envelope and took out the letter. Looking at it before unfolding it, she took a deep breath.

Unfolding it, she slowly read the three and only lines in the middle of the paper:

"_Live not for yesterday or hopes of tomorrow. _

_Live today as if it's your last, and thank God for what you still have. _

_Din för alltid / Lars_" [2]

Her breath caught in her throat, Sarah felt an intense surge of goose-bumps on her entire body as she closed her eyes and let a single tear roll down her rosy cheek.

* * *

**A/n**: As always; thank you so much for all the reviews! Always makes my day and motivates me for more writing! And know that many questions you may have will be answered as chapters go; so stay tuned! :)

**Translations**

1 – _Itai_ – Ouch (painful)

2 – _Din för alltid, Lars_ – Yours forever, Lars


	9. Chapter 9

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

* * *

**Chapter 9**

_"I want to show you something. Come here."_

_" Lars, you're making me nervous…"_

_"Don't worry Sarah, I'm right beside you."_

"Wait-!" Startled from her dream, Sarah awoke immediately to a sitting position, her eyes shot wide open. Spacing out for a few seconds, she followed up by running her hand through her hair to remove the bangs from her face.

_Still haunting my dreams… still you refuse to let go; is it a message?_

She put her right hand to where her heart was and felt it thumping fast, and it instantly reminded her of how her heart had thumped the same way when she'd ultimately fallen in love with Lars.

_It's like it was yesterday, that you took my breath away_

_… Lars Alexandersson._

Giving off a shaky sigh, she grabbed hold of her engagement ring and kissed it gently, a sad frown on her beautiful face. She read the indentation on the ring over and over again, reminiscing.

_There are still so many things I wish I would've told you, Lars. So many things I wanted to say out loud, to show you how much I loved you._

Letting go of the ring, she quietly exhaled and broke her train of bittersweet thoughts. Looking around, she saw that she was still at the infirmary, and—

"Whoa!" Startled yet again, she noticed someone sitting on a chair next to her, leaning forward on the side of the bed, head resting on crossed arms. The stranger seemed to be a woman, judging from her long blonde hair and delicate hands, but her face was turned away from Sarah so she couldn't identify who the woman was.

Sarah remained stiff as a rock, staring at the stranger infront of her in the still of the room, not knowing what to do. Looking to her left she located the clock and saw that it was late at night.

_A stranger, this time of night?_

Because she was still feeling weird from her dream, Sarah decided to take a short walk in the hall outside the room. Getting to her feet, she turned her back to the sleeping woman and stood up. Stretching lightly before walking up to the door, she decided to walk around the bed to take a closer look at the stranger by the bed before leaving the room.

Standing a foot away from the blonde, Sarah stared at her.

_She's pretty, I'll give her that much. Haven't seen her around before, though…_

The woman's delicate face was unfamiliar to Sarah so she decided to let it go for the time being and take that walk her numb legs longed for. Reaching for the doorknob, she turned it and stepped outside on the carpeted floor. As she was looking up from the ground she bumped into—

"Steve!" She burst out loud, before covering her mouth with both hands for being so loud in the quiet hallway. Steve was wearing a nice, dark blue sweater with a huge emblem of the flag of Great Britain in the middle, the colors somewhat mixing into one another, and a pair of black trousers with two pockets on the sides of each leg.

_Oh no, oh what-do-I-do-_now_; Sarah think!_

"Hey… didn't mean to startle you; it's good to see you again." He said in a cautious tone of voice, and went quiet as he stared at her with a vague smile. He looked somewhat relieved and looked straight into Sarah's eyes as he spoke.

"Hi…" Sarah said and lowered her gaze. She hadn't thought about what to say or do were she to bump into Steve and she currently felt speechless as she inwardly cursed at her not planning ahead on the issue.

_Plus, I probably look a mess. And why am I feeling so embarrassed!? It's just Steve… it's—we used to talk about everything! Seriously, who am I kidding; it's 'cause he's staring at me like that._

"I heard from Kazama that you're improving, which is a relief. You had us all worried when they brought you in almost half-dead." He said gently, not smiling anymore.

_Is it me or has Steve grown taller— wait; 'half dead'?_

"Half-dead?" She replied in surprise and met his gaze with a frown.

"Yeah, you weren't breathing and you'd been hit pretty bad; Kazama performed a cardiopulmonary resuscitation on you for quite some time until the doctors arrived from the hiding bunkers. Everyone thought you were done for, but Kazama never gave up." Steve explained and hid his hands in his pockets.

"I didn't know this, no one told me." She said and looked to the ground as she played with her fingers behind her back.

"Are you sure you should be up and walking so soon? Maybe you ought to go back to bed, Sarah." Steve dared touch her shoulder, which made her look up at his hand immediately, ever so startled.

"I'm okay Steve, don't worry. I had trouble going back to sleep and my legs really ache for a walk. I won't stay up for long." She put her hand on his and faintly smiled as if to reassure him of her being well. But her response turned the situation into a complete, awkward silence.

Once again she couldn't help but stare into his blue eyes, enchanted by the foreign feeling she'd felt in the bar many days ago.

A mere fifteen-second interval had gone by before Steve broke the silence, "Alright, just don't push yourself too hard. You need time to recover." He said and let go of her shoulder. The warmth of his hand was instantly replaced by the cold air in the silent hallway, and she slightly shivered.

"You sound like my physician, Dr Ryuzaki." She chuckled halfheartedly and backed away against the wall, the palm of her hands touching it behind her. Steve merely smiled but remained silent as he lowered his gaze.

"Hey, Steve…?" Sarah broke the silence, but wouldn't meet his eyes as she spoke.

"Yeah?" He looked up, his tone of voice questioning.

"We need to talk. You know, sort things out. I really want to clear up the mess between us…" She didn't know where the courage to say those words came from, for she had always postponed her planned confrontation with Steve about what had been going on between them. Her boldness surprised her, to say the least.

"I know. I'd been trying to talk with you before, but you always avoided me. And then suddenly there was a war." He replied truthfully, his voice calm and collected. But what he really felt was nervousness.

_Here goes nothing…_

"Tell me straight off, Steve; were you and Asuka involved at that time when I saw you dancing in the bar? I need to know." She held a determined voice and surprised Steve with her boldness. He kept silent for a few seconds before speaking.

"Sarah, listen… Asuka and I eventually became more than friends, I admit. But at the time, when you saw us at the bar, we were never romantically involved like everyone thought. She was drunk.

She ultimately did show she was interested, though. When we'd become friends I found I wanted more than that from her, and she told me she wanted the same." He took two steps back and supported his back against the wall opposite from hers, hands in his pockets.

"What does that mean? That there was nothing else between us more than being friends for all that time?" She frowned in a hurtful expression, and looked away when he locked gazes with her. He paused for a while before replying, reluctant about which words to voice out.

"I thought there was, but you kept shutting me out all of a sudden and only late on did I realize that it was because of your thinking Asuka and I were serious… even as you and I had become real close. Asuka and I weren't very serious at first, Sarah, it escalated later on, after you and I had that sudden distance and you started spending a lot of time with Alexandersson." Steve felt like he was venting to an old friend what with saying so much all at once, but he felt like he needed to for he finally felt like someone, and not anyone at that, was actually listening to his side of the story instead of creating assumptions. And he needed to have Sarah understand he wasn't deliberately playing with her feelings.

"I see… " She looked up to meet his eyes and saw a genuine look in them. Feeling nervous about the whole situation, she bit her lower lip.

"Sarah, if I had known— I just want you to know it wasn't my intention to make you—"

"Steve… don't apologize; I've thought about this and… to be honest I haven't been that fair to you." She interrupted.

_What?_

"Even though, I admit, I was a bit jealous of Asuka for stealing your attention that fast when you and I had just become close friends." She wore an apologetic look on her face, and he seemed surprised at her words but remained silent.

_Not the answer I expected from her. Not in the least._

"There has obviously been a misunderstanding between us, Sarah. I thought we had something, and when I tried to get close you shut me out and kept distancing yourself from me. I took it you weren't interested after all… so I let it go and tried to give you some space." He seemed hurt but kept calm.

"Because of Asuka, of course! How can you blame me; any woman would understand you were into her the way you guys spent time together! And the way she kept clinging to you like no tomorrow whenever I was around doesn't exactly justify your argument from my point of view, you know!" Sarah raised her voice ever so slightly and felt that the argument was going to be hurtful if it continued any further. But it was too late to halt the turbulence.

"Why wouldn't I spend time with her? Did you forget _you_ kept pushing me away? And as if that wasn't enough, you started going out with that Alexandersson for dinners and meetings and God knows _what_ else you two were doing twenty-four, seven! For about all I heard from other people were 'what a wonderful couple' you and Alexandersson made; how you deserved _him_ and he deserved _you_. But if you ask me, I never really understood _what_ you saw in that Swede!" Steve was hurt by her words and didn't feel like she had the right to completely victimize herself in all of this. He was surprised though how fast their small-talk had turned into a serious argument after just a few sentences. He did want to clear the air, but not the way this was going; they were both hurt and angry for many reasons.

"'_What I saw in that Swede_'? What is wrong with you? When Lars came into my life, everything around me was beautiful! I appreciated the little things in life we usually take for granted! Lars made me want to embrace love in such a beautiful way I never wanted to let go anymore!" He'd hit a nerve, no question about it.

"No, let go." He backed away at her biting request.

"I was afraid to love again… but he took that fear and locked it away; he made me want to smile with all my heart again! You never knew him, how can you be so cold?!" Yet again did her honesty surprise her; never would she even picture herself standing infront of Steve and telling him her dearest, darkest secrets. Especially when it came to telling him about how she felt about another man. But Steve had now upset her, the way he seemed to look down on the man she had fallen in love with.

"My world was upside-down, Steve." Her voice mellowed, turning gentle and sad.

"But Lars had a way of freezing time when we were together, putting everything in order. Everything about him was so secure, steady and determined; he was always one step ahead of everyone else, even though he'd take risks in life. I felt so safe in his arms; _beautiful and unique_." She ran her hands through her hair and put it up in a ponytail, deeply affected as she turned away from Steve.

The British boxer sighed and looked the other way, both of them in awkward silence in the poorly-lit, silent hallway.

"I didn't mean to upset you..." He saw her wiping tears off her face as he spoke.

"I'm sorry he had to go away so suddenly. Really, I am. My condolences." Steve looked down at the carpeted floor, not knowing what else to say.

"He meant the _world_ to me." A choked voice, still a hint of a sad tone. Sarah was now supporting her left shoulder against the wall, seeing the far end of the ultimately intersected hallway. Feeling how her eyes were filling with tears again, she sighed and rubbed at her eyes.

Turning around, she slid down the wall and sat on the carpeted floor, hugging her knees and feeling empty and alone.

The innocent and fragile sight infront of him was unbearable; "Hey now…," he said and stepped over to sit beside her, to her left. He held an arm around her shoulders and gently rubbed her other arm.

"It's just so surreal, Steve. My mind is semi-registering the reality I've been told, but my heart refuses to understand. I feel so shattered inside..." She rested her head on his shoulder and let her tears fall, but didn't pay much attention to them anymore.

"And no matter where I look there are pieces scattered everywhere. It's like he was a part of a long dream; that I've now awaken and that he wasn't even real to begin with." She sobbed and Steve held her closer, gently supporting his head against hers.

"Sometimes… we refuse to let go because we don't want to accept what we can't control. And slowly, but surely, we destroy ourselves; 'cause when we lose someone we love, suddenly nothing else matters. But we forget what we still have and what tomorrow holds." The way he said those words had Sarah, for a mere second, feel like she was sitting next to Lars, absorbing his wise picture of life.

All but a wishful thought it was; for what she really felt was longing, and the need to find the strength to mourn. In peace.

_Please, come back. Knock on my door, pass me by. Come back and tell me this is all just a dream. Tell me you're still out there somewhere, breathing; your heart still beating._

Steve gently rubbed her arm in silence, his free arm on the carpet.

_Kom tillbaka, Lars.[1]_

She put her hand on her belly and gazed at it, wanting to cry rivers. But she held it in and gently rubbed her belly, thankful that Steve was there; all she had felt since the horrible news was loneliness.

_Emptiness and sadness._

_Why did you have to leave? Why you Lars?_

Minutes passed and they simply sat there, silent as a giant clock kept ticking echoing sounds in the hallway. Somehow the ticking sound of the clock reminded her of Lars' beating heart, and how she used to spend minutes, and sometimes even hours, putting her ear against his chest and simply listen. On many occasions, she would lull herself to sleep that way and Lars would never object.

She remembered how she used to sneak into his bedroom in the middle of the night to do just that. And Lars would just smile at her surprising visits and embrace her till early dawn without a single word.

_Knock on my door. Smile at me, whisper my name._

How she missed the days when she'd sneak past the guards to climb in through his window and find him at his place. Either she'd find him asleep where she'd crawl into his bed and lie next to him, watching his handsome face in the silent bedroom and cuddle next to him. Or she would find him in the shower where she'd steal his towel hanging by the door, by means of avenging all the times he'd enjoyed teasing her in public.

_And you'd just kiss me and have me promise not to do it again. But I still did, and yet you'd always find ways to charm me so I'd give it back to you. Every single time._

She sighed yet again, grateful for the silence in the hall, for she was lost on what to say or feel any longer.

"Sarah?"Steve thought Sarah had fallen asleep because she hadn't said anything in a while. His calling her name snapped her mind back to reality.

"… yeah?" She sounded like she had a cold, which, he guessed, was because of her crying. It reminded Steve, though, that she'd been out in the cold hallway for too long; her desired walk forgotten.

"Let's get you back inside, it's cold out here. You should get some rest." He got to his feet and extended an arm out to hold her hand, and help her stand up.

She stared at it before putting her hand in his, getting to her feet while sighing.

"Guess I'll have to take that walk later." She said and met his gaze.

"Thanks Steve, for staying." She took a step closer and kissed his cheek, wiping her tears as she stepped back again.

"Anytime. I… again I'm sorry about everything, Sarah. Please, don't be so hard on yourself for this; there is still that which is worth living for. Still what is beautiful in this world." He smiled as if to comfort her, but Sarah couldn't bring herself to smile back.

"I don't know what's going to happen next between me and Asuka, but I want you two to know that I truly _am_ happy for you. If you're in love, or even just wanting to be together, then you should stay that way and not take one day for granted. Life is so fragile and limited, and we don't know which moments will be our last. Take good care of the time you have left, Steve." She felt like she was ripping the words right off Lars' heart, but knew Lars had influenced her to the point where she felt she somehow understood the roller-coaster that was Life.

_And how to make the best of what you still have._

"Take good care, Sarah." Steve put his hand on her shoulder and let it gently slide off as he turned around to leave. She watched his retreating figure before going back inside.

Stepping inside and closing the door after her, she looked up and met beautiful, crystal-blue orbs staring back at her from a distance; the woman was awake, resting her back and arms on the chair.

_Oh no, I had forgotten all about her._

Sarah remained standing still, her back against the door and her hand still on the doorknob behind her.

_She's so beautiful. Who is she?_

The woman looked elegant and fit, her blonde hair reaching her waist. She was wearing a knee-length, black skirt and elegant black boots that embraced her legs up to her knees. Her long-sleeved, high collar blouse looked very feminine and showed her small waist in the form of a wide belt snug around it. Her legs were crossed, the heels of her boots low but visible. Her posture was straightened and mannered.

"Don't be frightened, sweet'. Come, have a seat." The unfamiliar woman had a sweet voice and a soft, gentle tone, smiling as she held out her hand for Sarah to hold.

Sarah felt like there was some sort of force pulling her forward and she was surprised at how fast she had already walked up to the woman, her hand connecting with hers. She sat on the bed, facing the blonde, her hand still in the woman's.

"_So this is what she looks like, Erik._" The woman whispered, mostly to herself it seemed, and smiled as she reached with her free hand to place some of Sarah's bangs behind her ear, before stroking her soft cheek.

_Did she say Erik?_

"I'm… sorry?" Sarah was surprised at the woman's sudden move; invading her personal space in spite of Sarah not knowing who she was. But she didn't feel like she'd been invaded; there was something very inviting about the stranger, her features warm and her voice genuinely kind.

_There's something about her…_

"I don't know how much, or even if he told you about me, but I know a whole lot about you, Sarah. Save for how you look that is, for there was never a photo of you in his possession to show me. You're just as pretty, if not prettier than how he described you." She let go of Sarah's bangs and put her hand on Sarah's, still smiling as she looked into Sarah's brown eyes.

_Something about her that's so familiar…_

"Have you figured out who I am as of yet?" Her tone of voice sounded curious, but encouraging.

_—wait-oh-my-God, she couldn't be—could she? Oh my God, I know she is, I know she _must_ be…_

"You're hesitating. Trust your heart, Sarah." The brunette stared in awe at how gracefully the woman spoke and gestured. At how bright she seemed. But mostly at her own sudden realization of who the woman was. Sarah knew why the blonde seemed so familiar. She could feel it.

Then she immediately stood up and surprised the woman by embracing her tightly, tears filling up the brunette's eyes.

_It _is_ her… Lars, I'm talking to your mother, it's your beautiful mother._

"_Sweetheart_…" The woman exclaimed in surprise and returned the embrace as she rubbed Sarah's back.

"Ms Alexandersson, _I'm_…" She sobbed sharply and struggled not to cry; she couldn't believe Lars' mother was the stranger infront of her, couldn't believe how strongly connected she had felt with the woman before realizing it was actually his mother.

"I am so, _so_ _sorry_. My deepest…, _deepest_ and most sincere condolences. Jag beklagar sorgen _så_ [2]." She finally burst out crying and clung to the woman with all her might, feeling sad and shattered in a million pieces. But she found a familiar sense of security in the arms of the woman. A sense that made her feel close to Lars. A sense like _home_.

_Home._

"Oh, you sweet soul, it's okay honey. Please… have a seat." Frida Sara gently grabbed Sarah by her shoulders as if to motion for the latter to back away so she could face her. Sarah sobbed again and again as she sat back down on the bed, wiping at her tears. The blonde took Sarah's hand in both of hers and gently stroked the back of it.

"Thank you, for your kind words." Sarah looked away and couldn't seem to control her sobbing.

"It's alright to cry, dear, don't hold it in." The Swedish woman dried Sarah's tears and smiled yet again, as if to comfort the younger woman who now turned to look at her. The blonde cupped Sarah's cheek with one hand.

"When Kazama-san came to me about what had happened, I immediately thought of you, and rushed to get here." She rested her crossed leg on the floor and scooted further out on the chair, by means of getting closer to Sarah.

"We're all sad and shattered inside, Sarah. It's surreal, and hard to accept. But you're not alone in this world, honey." Sarah lowered her gaze and shook her head in sadness.

"Kazama-san told me… how he couldn't bare the fact that he was lost on how to encourage and comfort you, for he found it difficult to even comfort himself." She paused and blinked at the tears in her eyes.

"Poor soul had such a hard time telling me Erik's life was taken in war. He ended up crying in my arms from sorrow, blaming himself for Erik's death and refusing to forgive himself." She paused.

_Jin-chai…_

"I was then reminded of Jin's adorable childhood days; when he was sad or in trouble he'd sometimes run to me and cling like no tomorrow, venting out his sadness in-between his uncontrollable sobbing." Frida Sara's eyes filled with more tears but she refused to lower her gaze as she stared into Sarah's eyes.

"It's a gift, life is. Moments pass you by in the blink of an eye, and today quickly makes haste for tomorrow. Some move on and plan for tomorrow, and some… some refuse to seize the day because yesterday keeps them at bay. Do not forget who you are, Sarah. And never forget to be thankful for today, for what you still hold in the palm of your hand." Sarah was so moved by the woman's words it seemed as if she had spaced out, staring directly through Frida Sara's eyes.

_Live not for yesterday or hopes of tomorrow…_

"Jin is like a son to me; I knew his mother, God rest her soul. I often think about the irony of him and Erik meeting and even becoming close friends, much like Jin's mother and I did." Sarah's eyes moved as she snapped back to reality, her confusion getting the best of her as she interrupted the woman.

"I'm sorry… _Erik_?" Sarah said and gently sighed before sobbing, her tone of voice puzzled. The woman went silent for a brief second as she seemed to not understand what Sarah meant. Then it hit her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I mean Lars; Erik is Lars' middle name, which I reflexively use when I really miss him." She said which had Sarah frown.

"I didn't know he had a middle name… it's pretty nice. Suits him, as does his first name." Lowering her gaze, she placed her other hand on-top of Frida Sara's hands. Taking deep yet gentle breaths, she aimed to calm down as the woman spoke.

"Thank you. It's not his official name, but I did name him Lars Erik when he was born. So that's always been his baptized name. He was named after my father, Erik Alexandersson, rest his soul. The name Lars was mine and my mother's choice, but I dearly wanted Lars to carry his grandfather's name Erik as his middle name." She gave Sarah the gentlest squeeze of her hands, nodding.

"No one other than me calls him Erik, though. So I'm not surprised you didn't know." Her smile disappeared and she frowned, her eyes looking elsewhere.

"Is that it, the ring he proposed to you with?" She reached and grabbed hold of the ring, examining it.

"Y-yeah…" Sarah eyed the blonde as she read the indentation on the ring, feeling nervous at how much Lars might've told his mother about the two of them.

"It's _beautiful_… You know, when Lars told me he wanted to marry you, and said he needed my blessings first, he was the happiest I had ever seen him since giving birth to him. He desperately wanted me to meet you, by means of showing me 'what a wonderful woman' you were, as he literally put it. We rarely saw each other, my son and I, but when we did he'd tell me simply everything about you, and how you'd turned his world around for the better." Frida Sara gently stroked the indentation with her thumb, a tear rolling down her rosy cheek.

"Ms Alexandersson—!" Sarah said in a low tone of voice, reaching to hold the woman's tear-struck cheek.

"I'm okay, sweetheart. I just miss him so very much. He was all I had, my sweet baby boy... my memories of him are still so vivid, so alive and cheerful. I hope you're resting in heaven somewhere, Erik, watching over us from above." She gave a shaky sigh and looked up to the ceiling as she ended her sentence, her eyes shining from unshed tears.

_Don't worry, Lars; I'm going to take real good care of your mother._

_I promise._

"I'm sure he's safe and resting Ms Alexandersson. And I want you to know, that we're here for you too. _I'm_ here for you. And Jin is." Sarah felt a lump in her throat as she tried to comfort the kind woman as best as she could.

"I had never met you when Lars asked for my blessings to marry you, but I didn't even hesitate to give you both my best; you are precisely as Lars described you. And I now understand why he fell in love with you. You've such a wonderful, caring heart, such radiant energy." The Swede smiled at Sarah and the latter blushed at her words; it only made the woman smile even more as she got to her feet and walked up to the faucet behind the chair.

Filling up a glass with water, Frida Sara returned and offered the glass to Sarah along with a few napkins.

"Tack…[3]" Sarah thanked her and nodded as she took the glass and drank the much needed water.

"You know what amused Lars even more about you; when he'd first told me about you, he said: '_mamma, du anar inte, hon talar svenska_' [4] and went on about how he believed that fate had brought you two together; except for me, you're the only one knows the Swedish language around here, so he was beaming with joy." She said and chuckled faintly as she took a seat on the chair once again.

Sarah smiled and said, "It surprised me as well, when I found out _he_ knew the language, and ultimately was of Swedish descent as well. Well, partly anyway" Frida Sara grinned.

"He told me about how you two first met; amusing to say the least." The woman was struggling to choke her laughter, which surprisingly made Sarah smile.

"Ms Alexandersson! You _know _about that?" Sarah exclaimed, a blush dusting her cheeks. Frida Sara chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"Sorry, but yes, I do." Sarah laughed out loud, triggering Frida Sara's laughter, and soon all you could hear from outside was a loud, happy laughter of feminine voices.

However, soon Sarah and Frida's laughter slowly quieted down, smiles still plastered on their joyful faces. Sarah dried her happy tears with the napkins she was still holding in her hand, while Frida Sara let gravity have its way with her only tear of joy, rolling down her porcelain-white cheek.

"Thank you, for making me smile and laugh when everything around me is chaos. It means the world to me." Sarah said and sighed with a smile.

"I'm always here for you." She replied and smiled back. Then, "I know you two got married, and that Jin is still unaware." Frida Sara said bluntly which immediately erased Sarah's smile. The room went quiet once again.

"… I'm sorry?" Sarah couldn't believe her ears, staring in shock at the woman infront of her.

"I had a letter sent to me, marriage license and everything. Apparently Lars wanted me to have those in case something happened to him. Well, according to the sender, who actually happens to be Jin's personal physician." The woman continued.

"Don't be so shocked, darling. And there's more." Frida Sara smiled and tried to ease the girl's shock by gently rubbing her arm.

_What in the world… Lars, why did you—_

"I heard you were pregnant. Or, should I say _over_heard; Kazama and Ryuzaki were discussing your health as I was passing by to come see you, sorry. You probably wanted to tell me yourself, but I can't wait any longer, I'm excited about it." The Swedish woman seemed to wait for Sarah's permission to touch Sarah's belly, but Sarah was speechless at the new piece of information.

"Sarah, take a deep breath." She held the girl by her shoulders and looked straight into her brown eyes, encouraging her to relax. Sarah did was she was told.

"There you go, calm down. Everything's okay, nobody except me knows about your marriage. I suspect that Jin's had suspicions though, since Lars, rest his soul, was an earnest Christian and your carrying his child without having been married first then seeming strange to Jin." The woman gazed at the ring around Sarah's neck.

"I… well, no. I mean… apparently Jin didn't know Lars was religious to that extent. _I_ didn't know Lars was, until on the night of my birthday when he… in such a gentle way, told me he couldn't be as close to me as I desired that night, unless we were married first. But that he'd promise to make it special after we got married just to make it up to me. It was actually the same night that he proposed to me." Awkwardly enough, the memory made Sarah blush, and she looked away as she fingered her bracelet.

_Why did I just say that?_

Frida Sara giggled and stood up, only to embrace Sarah tightly before letting go. She sat back down on the chair, smiling at the brunette.

"You sweet soul. So the baby is legitimate, so to speak." She held a playful tone in her voice, semi-grinning.

"As can be!" Sarah playfully stuck her tongue out and laughed, and yet again triggered the blonde to laugh as well.

From afar a sudden piano melody echoed through the halls, which startled the women ever so slightly. Sarah listened in silence for an entire minute before she decided to speak.

"That melody—" Sarah started.

"Is… what Lars used to play. I bet it's Kazama-san playing, couldn't be anyone else." Frida Sara interrupted the brunette, still smiling at her.

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, startled at the interruption.

"It's Lars' favorite piece; did you know the piano sheets for that melody are Lars' own?" Frida sounded proud at the fact, within reason.

"Really? No, I didn't know. Wow." It surprised Sarah; she knew Lars had mastered it, for she had stood next to him countless times when he'd played the piece on late afternoons and starry nights. But she had no idea he'd written it himself.

"Yeah, took him years to get it the way he wanted it. Well, back when we were still living in Sweden that is. I often wondered why it sounded so sad though, for he was always so cheerful in life." The woman said, reminiscing.

"As did I. I mean, it's so beautiful I thought it was from a famous pianist or the like." Listening to the piece always eased her heart's disputes.

"Yes, it's very touching. Back home, I used to lie awake and listen to him practice, touched by the magnificent emotions that would swirl inside me from that specific piece. It truly is a work of art." Frida Sara crossed a leg over the other, leaning back.

"Did he ever tell you why the music came to be the way it is? Why it was so sad?" Sarah asked earnestly.

"Well, this one time he told me the only way he could sort out his feelings in life was through music. And, oh he was so great with the piano! Talented and swift; born to create art." The blonde seemed so proud of her late son, remembering the past.

"I somehow always knew what true story that specific piece told; yes, it was his feelings, his life overall and of everything in the past and present that made him happy and sad, and everything in between; all in musical tunes. But _sometimes_… sometimes I wondered if this sad but beautiful piece wasn't directed to voice out the void in his heart." Frida Sara's eyes glimmered ever so little.

_Erik…_

"Void? But what about him being so 'cheerful in life'?" Sarah frowned.

"He _was_ cheerful, and he lived a happy life. But nothing can replace the absence of a father to a child. Erik often gave me excuses to stay up in his room, but I knew he spent hours there thinking. Wishing. _Hoping_. You may have known his strong will and determined view on life, but that was because he spent so many years as a child building a wall around his heart, pushing out the want to seek out his father to protect me." The woman seemed hurt after her last words, lowering her gaze. Sarah gently sighed and looked away, her feelings floating on grey clouds.

It was a long piece echoing in the halls, but with every minute that passed, Sarah relaxed a tenfold more. She felt safe in realms of Lars' music. Safe in the presence of the mother of the man she loved.

_Safe to know I'm not as alone as I thought._

She looked down at her belly and caressed it, before seeing another hand touch hers. Sarah looked up and met Frida's glimmering eyes, a sad smile on her face. The brunette gave an earnest smile and let go of her belly to place the Frida's hand there instead.

"Don't ask me why, but I think it's a boy." Sarah said and chuckled, comforting her mother-in-law with her gentle, cheerful tone of voice as she tried to soothe the atmosphere of the tune-filled silence.

But then both women started to laugh, yet again, as the music played in the background of the cheerful mist.

_--_

_Isn't it beautiful,_

_To wake up one day and feel safe?_

_To walk on the seashore without a worry in the world?_

_See a simple flower and appreciate the beauty of Life?_

_--_

_You know, I never thought I'd see the world the way I see it today;_

_Clear._

_Beautiful._

_Steady._

* * *

**A/n:** I can't stop listening to Angela Aki's songs! She's such a talented singer and pianist. I'm currently stuck on her live performance of her cover song of Smasing Pumpkins' "Today". I really like how it turned out, and her piano version is simply amazing. Also, "Tegami", "Rain" and especially "Kiss Me Good-Bye" are simply beautiful. But if you're familiar with her music I don't have to tell you how beautiful it is!

Anyway, thank you for the always-so-wonderful reviews! And most are so elaborate too, you're very kind! I'm so fortunate to have reviewers who actually let me in on what was good about the chapter and what they liked less. It makes me grow as a writer and it certainly motivates me ;)

Since I'm suffering from lack of sleep, I'll write what I wanted to write in the author's note for this chapter, the next time I upload another chapter. Though, by then I might not find it relevant enough, but maybe I'll include something short. Perhaps it's a good idea to do that in order to clear out minor misunderstandings or simply just explaining my point of view on things included in the story.

Till next time, dear readers and yet again, I hope you liked this chapter (I'm especially hoping it wasn't too drawn-out and long! I enjoyed writing it, though!).

**Translations**

1 – _Kom tillbaka, Lars_ – Come back, Lars.

2 – _Jag beklagar sorgen_ (_så) _– My condolences --- (I've put the word "_så"_ within brackets because it's only a word you sometimes add in speech to emphasize the sentence/phrase. For instance, "I love you" can also be said, "I love you _so_". Saying 'I love you' means what it says, but adding the word "_so_" at the end emphasizes that you love the person _very much_ (or the equivalent to such alike). "_So_" has the same function as "_Så_" in "_Jag beklagar sorgen så_" in Swedish.

So keep in mind that "Jag beklagar sorgen_"_ _alone_ is the equivalent to "_My condolences_", in English.

3 – _Tack_ - Thanks

4 – _Mamma, du anar inte, hon talar svenska_ – You won't believe this, mother; she speaks Swedish


	10. Chapter 10

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

* * *

**Chapter 10**

_"… Running through fields of yesterday,_

_Below the burning lights of our future dreams._

_You made me want to reach out, _

_Hold onto the stars of tomorrow_

_--_

The amazingly huge audience in the auditorium sat in silence and awe at Sarah's voice and piano notes. Tears streamed down her face as she sang the song she had spent days and nights writing, specifically for this day; for Lars' memorial. She had struggled with it at first because she wanted it to be perfect, for Lars, and she didn't know what to say. Eventually she'd just listened to her heart and the words came like foretold magic; ultimately she had completed the song which was woven together from memories, feelings and secret thoughts.

--

_I wanted to see you again; to tell me this was home._

_I wanted to run to you; _

_To tell me, this time it was worth the wait_

_--_

She looked down at her belly where her baby was growing, her smile bitter-sweet: _One day, I'll tell you all about your amazing daddy, _she said to her baby, in her heart.

--

_'Cause when you love someone_

_You never worry_

_about yesterday, about tomorrow_

_-_

_When you smiled, you'd hold me close, _

_Your heart steadily beating_

_not for yesterday, not for tomorrow_

_But for 'today'_

_--_

The first thing she'd fallen in love with was Lars' deep view on life, because it had made her feel whole. It was the way he'd seize the day and make her feel like time had stopped, so she could catch up and absorb the amazing beauty of the world_._

_--_

_There were times I longed for what seemed the impossible, but_

_Sacrificing everything you held dear_

_You were determined_

_to teach me, to guide me_

_Never to lose faith_

_--_

She turned her gaze back to the audience again, her eyes filling with unshed tears. She spotted a few people she knew; Jin and Xiaoyu sat next to each other at the front row. Jin looked sad but smiled faintly when Sarah looked at him. Next to them sat Steve, Hwoarang, Asuka and Julia.

She noticed a few others at the other rows in the back but immediately spotted Frida Sara next to Jin, gazing back at her while drying her tears with a napkin. The sight of Frida Sara in that particular moment brought a lump to Sarah's throat, so she looked away so she wouldn't burst out crying. She gazed up at the glass-roof mirroring the starry night-sky, staring down at her, clear and glimmering. _It's ironic how, no matter where I turn my gaze, I'm reminded of you, Lars._

_--_

_You risked it all, to show me -_

_It was okay to cry_

_It was alright to laugh_

_-_

_That I wasn't living until I could dance_

_Like the whole world was watching_

_And I wouldn't have a care in the world_

_--_

She closed her eyes and recalled how Lars one day had caught her off-guard singing by the piano, in the very same auditorium, praising her talent of vocals and how she would move the world with her voice.

_"Varför döljer du en sådan talang som din? __[1]" _

_"Lars, I… no, I don't sing, really; I just play around like that sometimes. Please, let this be our secret, I don't want to make a big deal out of it." _

_"That's pretty sad, you know. With a voice like yours, you'd move the world, I'm sure of it."_

He had believed in her when she never did, and not in her wildest dreams would she ever have predicted her presently standing infront of a big crowd, singing her heart out. And never if so, that it would be for Lars' memorial. _You always believed in me. So these words are for you, Lars Alexandersson._

_--_

_Cause in my heart I hold_

_Every memory, your every laugh_

_Every smile and every tear_

_Every kiss, and your every touch_

--

Her voice cracked the slightest bit, almost unnoticeable, at the end of the word "touch", for the memories she shared with Lars that now flashed before her eyes, were too painful to remember. Because finally reality was beginning to sink in; that Lars Alexandersson wasn't coming back anymore.

Ever again.

--

_You taught me 'how';_

_to love and live_

_Today._

--

Being with Lars had felt like coming home, safe from the cruelties of the worst side of the world. She had stepped back on solid ground and suddenly everything around her was clear and unique, beautiful and worth exploring. She had felt that there must definitely be a God up there, as Lars believed, watching over the beauty that was untouched by the evil presence left in the world.

_Rest in peace, sweetheart; I will always remember you, will always miss you, will always be praying for your kind soul._

Her voice quieted down as the tangents slowly but surely halted the music to an echoing silence. There were no applauses heard from anywhere in the auditorium for several seconds; as if the world had stopped moving and the people were caught up in a moment of grief too deep to notice.

Sarah quickly wiped the tears away and stood up from the stool she had been sitting on, before walking up to the microphone located at the front of the stage.

"Rest in peace… _Lars Erik Alexandersson_." She said in a shaky voice, his name coming out in a choking voice from the lump in her throat. Her legs almost gave way, her unshed tears threatening to stream down her beautiful, yet sad face. But she stayed strong and forced herself to think of the baby as she gracefully walked over to and descended the steps at the side of the stage.

She walked up to the empty seat next to Frida Sara, whom the latter had kept vacant just for Sarah. The brunette sat down and immediately a sobbing Frida held a hand to the girl's cheek and kissed the side of her forehead, whispering a heartfelt '_Thank you_'.

Sarah responded by holding the woman's hand in hers and squeezing it gently, before looking her in the eyes, genuinely smiling.

Soon, the closest people to Lars walked up to the stage, one after the other, to give their personal speech in memory of him. The speeches ranged from funny memories, to moments in battle and practice; even some of his older friends from his past university and high school were present, sharing their stories of what Lars used to be like in his earlier years before graduation, and what his dreams and goals were back then. And just as Sarah had suspected, it turned out, Lars had been quite popular among the girls at his university.

_You told me to count my blessings before they were all gone..._

Emotions lasted from silence to sobbing, to laughing out loud and longing in the moments of reminisce. And to Sarah, every memory someone shared with the audience was beautiful, for the memories were all telling truthful tales about the man she very much loved; the warrior who changed her path for the better.

_Your presence always held a feeling of what Heaven might be like. But then sometimes, heaven's not enough, and I desperately need you. I need you, Lars. Now more than ever…_

Sarah had it arranged that she would sing three songs during the memorial; she would begin with her own song she had written specifically for the occasion, followed up by two other songs, not written by her but, songs that she could relate to feelings and memories. For her second performance she had chosen "My heart will go on".

Most of what the lyrics in the songs told had to do with the life they lived together, the memories they made together; occasions of which Lars had written in the diary he'd kept.

She'd found the diary on one of the many times she had snuck in through his window to be with him. He'd been asleep and the diary had looked so simple she'd almost mistaken it for any ordinary notebook and passed it by without a second glance. She still doesn't know why her curiosity got the best of her that night though, and she'd opened the first page reading the neat text that was written in Lars' hand.

On the first few pages, Lars had talked about Sarah the very first times they had met.

One entry in the diary had startled her; not because of what was said in it, but because Lars had had such a strong impact from a specific memory they shared; when they were both still strangers to one another, bearers of untold secrets.

It was one late afternoon and Sarah had been by herself, sitting on a swing in the cold and lonely park, sad and depressed. Lars had spotted her from afar and had walked up to sit on another swing, next to her. Reluctant at first, she had ultimately started to confide in him and unraveling her dark secrets, and how lost she was in this strange life she lived; her childhood and her past and how she struggled to live and move on.

Sarah had cried her heart out that afternoon, and her words of past and present had changed Lars' life, forever. He'd written how, after he had gotten to know her, he wanted to hold her and keep her safe under glass. How he wanted to protect her from the tainted cruelties of the world and make the darkness go away. How he wanted to know more about what past had shaped who she was today, wanting to light her world, safe from everyone and everything, _I'll make her smile again. And this time she won't lose faith. For sure,_ he had said at the end of an entry.

So she sang and remembered; that late September afternoon, the many starry night skies and the life stream Lars had spoken of so many times. The promises and intimate moments they had shared. How fate had, just as Lars had felt, brought their souls together in a part of the world far away from their home. And it all flashed before her eyes in a single second; exhausting her, weakening her.

What she liked the most about the whole memorial was the closure that Jin Kazama now held; Jin was playing the piano piece that Lars had cherished so much, and had written himself. It was to become the most emotional and beautiful part of the memorial, next to her first performance; it sent shivers down her spine.

_Everything is still so surreal, so very strange. It's like I had met you in another lifetime, another dream._

Jin's piano closure was to be followed up by another, last song performed by Sarah, at her request. He nodded at Sarah and she got to her feet, but suddenly feeling a bit dizzy. Frida steadied her with her hands on Sarah's arm and the latter quickly regained her composure, smiling down at the woman as if to thank her.

Sarah had chosen a song that had helped her heal better when a terrible accident, responsible for her parents' deaths, had left a deep mark in her, since then, fragile heart. She walked up to the piano and sat on the stool in silence for a while; thinking, reminiscing.

_This is for you Lars, and for you Frida Sara; may you find peace and comfort, wherever you go._

Then her fingers gracefully touched the tangents of the piano, and she performed "Angel", originally by Sarah McLachlan.

She was so entranced by the song that she was oblivious to the tears that slid down her cheeks as she pressed the piano tangents to emphasize her voice. Frida Sara rested her head on Jin's shoulder and cried in a silent manner, taking in Sarah's gentle and clear voice.

When it was over, Sarah walked up to the microphone, and surprised herself by speaking into it, saying, "Be safe, Lars, under the wings of angels."

She walked away, then stopped in her tracks and walked back, saying ever so gently, "I love you. _For always_." She walked up to the beautiful corner they had made for Lars, in the middle of the stage. The place was filled with letters and flowers, and pictures of Lars as a baby, toddler and teenager, grad student and officer.

One of the pictures portrayed Lars with his mother, in Sweden by a lake, in which they seemed to have the time of their life. Lars was around six years old and on the photo seeming to laugh his heart out next to his smiling mother. Sarah placed a single rose next to that picture, for it was her favorite among them all; it was innocent and pure, the feelings seeming so true and genuine. She lit a candle and put both of her hands on her belly, staring down at a photo of him in the Tekken Force uniform.

_I will never love another man like I've loved you. Never touch a man the way I've touched you. I will _never_ kiss another man the way I loved to kiss you. _

_Never, Lars. _

_I'm going to_ _give our baby all the love in the world; teach him your courage, tell him to pursue his dreams and to live in the moment. I will teach him everything you gave me, and I'll tell him stories of his brave and wonderful daddy every single day._

_I'll never forget you._

She said a silent prayer for his soul, before descending the steps once again. She took a seat next to Frida Sara, listening to the faint murmur of the people all around as she sighed.

Others could now walk up to the corner and place a flower, or light a candle and say a short prayer. Most people said their prayers in their hearts and left, some only placed a flower. Closer friends stayed a little longer and many lit candles.

Sarah was on the verge of spacing out again, her vision starting to blur from her sad heart as she semi-tripped into the deep realms of mourning. But Jin's loud voice suddenly snapped her mind back to reality and startled her enough to make her jump in her seat, her shining eyes darting back and forth. Frida Sara tightly gripped Sarah's hand as she too now turned in Jin's direction.

"_What?!_" Jin had loudly snapped into his cell phone as he now stood up from his seat, earning himself a few on-lookers from the nearby seats. Xiaoyu's eyes had widened, her face struck with an expression of worry at her fiancé's sudden outburst.

The Japanese male seemed to have spaced out, for he stood still, not saying anything at all after the outburst, looking at nothing in particular as he held the cell phone to his ear. After nearly an entire minute had passed, he said, "What kind of a sick joke is this? No, just stay right where you are. I'm on my way." His tone of voice had lowered but he spoke with haste and distress.

Jin pocketed his cell and turned to his right as he quickly gave Xiaoyu a kiss on her cheek, and whispered something in her ear, which wasn't audible to anyone but his fiancée. Jin Kazama quickly but quietly made his way past the crowd and out through the huge entrance in the back.

For all anybody knew, the call could've concerned issues within the military, or shipments or even stocks, for that matter. But the way Jin had stood up in a split-second at his outburst, disturbing the peaceful memorial as it was coming to its end, pulled a tight knot in Sarah's gut.

_What was that all about?_

"Ms Alexandersson, what do you reckon?" The brunette asked the woman to her right, facing her with a worried voice.

"I'm sure it's nothing of interest to us. Let's see what Ling has to say about it." Frida Sara turned to her right and put a hand for support on the now empty seat, where Jin had sat mere moments ago, as she addressed Ling Xiaoyu.

"Ling, is everything okay? He seemed uncomfortable from that call." Xiaoyu then smiled and shrugged.

"Alexandersson-san, I have no idea. He told me not to worry, but that he would be busy for the remainder of the night and not to be disturbed." Xiaoyu's words had Frida Sara frown as the latter turned back around to face Sarah with a shrug of her shoulders.

"I do hope everything's okay." Sarah said worriedly, but Xiaoyu quickly followed up on an opinion.

"I'm sure it is, Sarah. Jin often gets calls from, especially, the Tekken military force regarding a lot of things. So I wouldn't worry too much, hmm?" The Chinese female said as to comfort her close friend, and smiled.

"You're right, but I've never seen him so unstrung over a phone call, not to mention in public. That is the main reason for my worry." Sarah leaned back on the chair whereby Xiaoyu scooted over to sit where Jin had sat before her, so she would be closer to Sarah; Frida Sara was now sitting between the girls.

"Neither have I, but I'm sure he'll tell us all about it tomorrow." Xiaoyu said matter-of-factly and observed the people that stood next to Lars' memorial corner a few feet away.

"If it's relevant enough," Frida Sara added and sighed.

"You must be so tired Ms Alexandersson. Why don't we go back so you can rest some?" Sarah could tell the woman was exhausted from lack of sleep, grief and depression just by looking at her and observing her behavior.

"Yes, that sounds great. But only if you rest as well, it's only been a month since you left the infirmary. Not to mention the fact that you're pregnant, dear heart." Frida smiled and turned to look at the Chinese girl.

"Coming with us?" She asked Xiaoyu, but the latter shook her head in disagreement.

"I'm staying with Jules for a while; you guys go on ahead and get some rest. You look a mess, you know." Xiaoyu got to her feet and walked up to Sarah and embraced her, and then embraced Frida Sara.

"Once again, my deepest condolences, to both of you. Lars will always be missed and remembered, and we're all here for you. Don't forget." She smiled and earned two smiles back from the women on the seats infront of her.

"Thank you darling, you're very kind." Frida Sara said with shining eyes.

"I'll catch you later Xiao, thanks again for everything." Sarah stood up.

"Mhm!" Xiaoyu raised her hand in a farewell motion as she smiled at them, and turned around to walk up to the others.

"Well then, shall we?" Sarah snuck her arm under Frida's and linked both their arms together.

"Let's go." They both made their way through the crowd and walked up to the back door, to leave the auditorium.

"I'm curious, Sarah." They had reached the building where Jin had both his office and his bedroom; he had insisted, since the war, on Sarah staying in that building since it was more heavily guarded than the main building she used to stay at before (which was where the tournament participants lived).

Frida Sara also stayed there till the arrangements for a house, closer to Jin's base, were settled and she could move in. This was the same building where Lars' bedroom was; it had been almost completely untouched since his passing away, and Sarah was now afraid to go there. Afraid to remember, to be reliving memories of love, joy, sadness and passion. Now that she was trying her best to heal and move on, going there only to miss him beyond words would only make it worse for her.

_I don't know if I'm ready to go back in there yet,_ she thought as she and Frida Sara passed the guards outside the building and passed the gates, away from the bitingly cold winds.

_It's not that I want to forget him. No. I'm… frightened. _

_Yes. To tear up those wounds again, wounds that I'm certain will never fully heal. Not in this lifetime. Not ever._

On some nights, Jin would look for Sarah, to check up on her, and not find her at her room and get worried sick. But he would ultimately find her in Lars' room, on the bed, seeming to have cried herself to sleep. Sometimes he would even find her wearing Lars' shirts, albeit the big size, curled up in a fetal position on the bed, her arms embracing one of the pillows. Many times she couldn't remember she had ever walked over to Lars' room in the first place, much to Jin's suspicions of her possible sleepwalking from post-traumatic stress.

"Have you thought of any names for the baby?" The woman continued, smiling as she looked at Sarah when they walked up to the building entrance.

After three or four times of her tormenting herself over memories and mourning at Lars' place, Jin had forbidden anyone from entering there, and it had been sealed ever since. It was, he had said, for her own good. So she could heal, and at least attempt to move on with her life. But it had only frustrated Sarah even more, which had resulted in her being on the verge of breaking down completely, wanting to take her own life to end the infinite misery.

"_You can't do this! At least when I'm there I feel like he's there with me, and I can breathe! We made a lot of memories together at his place, and some of his clothes still have his wonderful scent on them. It's as close as I'll ever be to Lars, ever again! And you want to take that away from me! You want to take that away from me!!_" she had screamed in his face the night Jin had officially sealed the place, pushing and punching at him with crying eyes, demanding the swipe card and pass code for Lars' room. Her high-pitched voice had frightened Jin, her words stinging like poison in his veins.

However, Jin hadn't given in to her demands, no matter how much it pained him. He trusted his instincts on the fact it would be better for her this way, on the long run. He had ultimately succeeded in convincing her to see Dr Ryuzaki on regular basis; to let everything out and deal with her feelings and loss. Her friends had stood up for her and made sure she was well taken care of, and within a bare month she felt she might have a chance of making it, after all. Because the strongest force to drive her forward had always been her unborn baby (and how unfair she had initially been to it), whom she loved above all else; the only part of Lars left, alive.

Preparing for the memorial gave her something to do that felt good; she felt useful, dealing yet again with her grief and sadness, which helped a tenfold more on top of what she had already accomplished at her meetings with Dr Ryuzaki. And now that the memorial was over and done with, she felt surprisingly calm, at least for the moment, and was grateful for her priceless friendships; especially when it came to Frida Sara Alexandersson.

"I have; Erik if it's a boy, and Fatima if it's a girl." Sarah said, smiling. Frida Sara seemed to beam at the mention of the name Erik, smiling back as she held Sarah's arm tighter in the chilly night.

"Fatima is a beautiful girl's name. I can relate to your choice for Erik, but what made you choose Fatima for a girl's name?" She said with enthusiasm.

"Yes, it's beautiful, but I chose it because Lars had told me he loved the name. He said he'd always fancied it because there was something divine about it, something that made him smile every time he heard it. So when I was deciding on baby names, I remembered our conversation." Sarah said and walked, with Frida Sara still linking an arm to hers, up to the guards and ID-d herself and Frida. The guards let them in and Sarah let go of the woman's arm and faced her once they were inside.

"If it's a girl, I want her to have two names; Fatima and Rose. But I want to listen to what you have to say about it first." Frida Sara merely smiled as she reached to rub Sarah's arm with loving thought, before letting go, saying;

"I'm happy with your choices; they are all very nice names. Unique to say the least," she replied and nodded in agreement.

"Thank you; I couldn't make the choice without hearing you out first." Sarah started walking again, and the blonde Swede followed her into the long hallway. They remained quiet for the rest of the walk, the silence somehow soothing.

When they had reached Frida Sara's room, they hugged each other and bid a heartfelt _goodnight_. As Frida Sara closed the door behind her, Sarah sighed tiredly and continued walking toward her own bedroom.

The hallways were silent this time of night; soldiers only guarded the beginning and end of hallways, the intersections and every path in-between empty from life, the lavish red carpet and paintings hanging along the hall coloring the silence. Expensive lamps decorated the floor and ceiling, the halls semi-lighted for the late hour.

As Sarah turned left on the intersection, she looked up and saw Jin hurriedly walking toward her. His suit seemed to be stained with something and his mind seemed to be elsewhere, absent from this world. When Sarah realized the stains were red, she was alarmed.

"Jin! Did something happen?" She exclaimed in a worried tone, inwardly shivering at the sight infront of her. He seemed shocked at the sight of her, his eyes shining from what seemed like unshed tears, but she wasn't sure what to make of the abrupt situation.

"Is that blood? Jin, what happened?" She took a step closer to him, wanting to touch his face, but he backed away immediately, as if touching him would involve her in the situation. He looked down at his clothes before staring back at her, still with wide-open eyes, startled and alarmed.

"Sarah, what are you doing here?" His voice was uneasy; the tone telling her he didn't want her there.

_That definitely looks like blood; it's smeared all over his suit!_

"I… was on my way back to my room? Ms Alexandersson and I felt a bit tired so we decided to head back and go to bed." Sarah's eyes darted up and down as she eyed his blood-smeared suit, her eyes starting to feel hot from worry.

Jin turned to look behind him, at the far end of the hallway, and then quickly looked back at Sarah, his breathing pacing up, his voice worried.

"That's-that's a good idea. Yes, you should get some rest. Go to bed, Sarah. Goodnight." He said and quickly walked past her without another word. This both startled and worried Sarah even more; she turned around and watched as he disappeared around the corner.

_What on earth was that all about?_

She was very tired, almost too tired to think about what the situation could be all about. But the image of his blood-smeared clothes was now etched in her memory and she couldn't get rid of the uneasy, eerie feeling. Her curiosity, once again, got the best of her as she stealthily walked up to the corner and peeked to her right.

Jin was repeatedly knocking on a door, pacing back and forth every other second as he ran a hand through his, now, somewhat messy hair. His face was pale and he looked worried. Sarah drew her head back and stared at the wall opposite her, thinking, her breathing quickening with more worry.

After a moment had passed, her eyes widened the slightest bit, her forehead in a frown.

_Isn't that Dr Ryuzaki's office?_

Standing very still, she held her breath as she heard the door open, Dr Ryuzaki's voice speaking with surprise.

"Kazama-san! What happened to you? Is everything alright? Come inside, please."

"No, Ryuzaki-san. You're—I need-it's—please, we have to hurry, come with me, quickly!"

"Alright, alright. I presume I need to bring my med kit?"

"Yes, please hurry, we have to hurry, too much blood has been lost already."

Jin's worried voice frightened Sarah, and she dared not exhale, dared not move a muscle. The far door suddenly closed, and short, quick footsteps were heard, the sound getting louder by the second. Sarah panicked and knew she wouldn't make it to her room on time without being seen. So she quickly tried every door she saw in the hallway until she found an unlocked one. She literally bumped herself inside the room as she quietly, but quickly closed the door after her.

She absentmindedly noticed she had entered a storage room, feeling out of breath from the stressful situation.

_What's happening out there?_

* * *

**A/n**: Celine Dion's "My heart will go on" is the most beautiful song I have ever heard; it's a part of the most beautiful and bittersweet film ever existing; _Titanic_. The movie itself left this strangely sad but beautiful feeling inside of me ever since I saw it many years ago, and every time I re-watch it or listen to the song, I relive that feeling, which I could never put into words because of its _magnificence_.

Everything from the freedom and love that Rose and Jack shared of living in the moment together, to the sad end of the priceless true love they shared makes you relate. And when you understand that kind of rare love they shared, and relate to the freedom they felt when they were together; that is when you're able to shed tears every single time you watch the film, or hear the theme song. For truly, such love is rare in every sense, and bittersweet in its finest reality.

Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" has always meant a lot to me, and it's a very beautiful song, with touching lyrics. It's one of those songs where you can't place what it is you like so much about it. It's simply amazing, though sad…

The name Fatima and Rose were chosen partly because I've always liked them myself (as I like the name Sara(h)), and partly because they're unique yet still remain beautiful. Most writers choose such common names in their stories, and so with this story I sought to twist that regularity a bit.

_Lars and Frida Sara_: I chose for them to be Christian to be able to tie Lars' and Sarah's stories together; him being determined and content in life, certain of his reasons for living and existing in this world, while Sarah has been through too much downfall in her life to ever see the good things in life and why she should even exist in the first place. They were to start off as the opposite ends of the Earth's poles, to be woven into one central truth, each completing the missing pieces of the other; with Lars saving Sarah in a way she never thought was possible.

Lars' middle name Erik was my choice and is not copyrighted to anyone, to clear out any misunderstanding of it actually being his official name. I chose for Lars and Frida Sara to have second names because it's very common in Sweden to have at least two names. And I also needed to strengthen the tie Frida Sara had shared with her son, which is where Lars' second name played an important role; Erik also being the name of her late father. The name-combination _Lars Erik_ or _Lars-Erik_ is also very common in Sweden.

The lyrics to the first song was written specifically for this chapter, thus they are copyrighted to me. As you may have noticed, the first parts are from the song Sarah sang in chapter 4; the very first time Lars had heard her singing voice. Some sentences in those parts were altered to fit the occasion and purpose.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'm hoping it's not too mushy (as I'm not too much of a fan of too many mushy scenes myself) as I've tried to keep it to a minimum since I'm trying to put a closure to Lars' passing away (hence the memorial).

Thank you for all the wonderful and elaborate reviews who always put a smile on my face, and sting my heart with gratitude and warmth! ;)

**Translation**

1 – _Varför döljer du en sådan talang som din?_ – why are you hiding a talent such as yours?


	11. Chapter 11

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

* * *

**Chapter 11**

"_Watashi o mite!_ [1]" Jin said sharply and cupped the face of the battered man, who was now lying on the blood-smeared bed, turning in different directions with eyes wide open as he struggled to breathe. Jin saw how the man went in and out of consciousness as Jin held him down, and Dr Ryuzaki trying to stabilize him; the bleeding had been stopped, but he had suddenly had trouble breathing and his heart seemed to be trying to give up on him.

"Calm down, just—easy, you're not relaxing. _Ochitsuite!_[2]" Jin spoke to the man as he held him down by his shoulders, over and over again, trying to make him relax; Jin's heart was racing from fear.

_You have to make it, please relax so we can help you breathe!_

After several attempts of trying to regain the man's regular heart rhythm, he started relaxing and stopped struggling and spasming as much as before. Soon also the drugs had taken effect and he was fast asleep, calmly breathing as the room went silent; the only sound that of the beeping monitor which had been brought in to be placed next to the bed.

Dr Ryuzaki examined the sleeping man and made sure not to miss anything crucial about his condition and recorded everything necessary on the sheets of papers now in her hands. After about half an hour she stood up, a semi-grim look on her face.

"We should allow him to rest now. Kazama-san, can I—_Kazama-san?_" She had turned her head to look at the Japanese male who seemed to have spaced out in shock as he eyed the sleeping man infront of him; Jin looked and felt completely exhausted and tired.

"Mm? I'm sorry?" He abruptly made a slight movement with his head and looked at her questioningly, his mind hazy yet his look strong and piercing. The female doctor remained silent and studied him for a short while before continuing.

"Can I have a word with you outside?" Dr Ryuzaki asked, and Jin gave a slight nod of assent as he dismissed the guards that had helped them out earlier.

As they stepped out, Dr Ryuzaki faced Jin even as she closed the door behind her, the guards slowly disappearing around the corner in the dim-lit hall.

"Kazama-san… he's clearly been abused and tortured; if G-corp. was behind this, my guess it was for some sort of attempt to extract classified information from him, or something of the like. It's not the first time I've seen marks like those." She looked away as if suddenly feeling sick to her stomach at the thought of what the man must've gone through. Jin hid his hands in his pockets and sighed as he lowered his gaze.

"I don't want anyone in there with him. At all. Please, place a few guards outside this room to forbid anyone from entering. And no one should know about this either, at least until we've established what's happened." She saw how Jin was slowly regaining the color on his face, as she had noticed how pale he'd become when they were trying to stabilize the now sleeping man.

"Kazama-san…" The woman took a step forward and placed her hand on Jin's shoulder when she noticed how far away his presence seemed, rubbing it gently. His gaze was still lowered and he gently sighed before finally speaking.

"'_In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends…_[3]" He trailed off, looking up again as he gazed at the door, seemingly deep in thought. But then he abruptly exhaled as he turned around to face Dr Ryuzaki. She frowned sympathetically as she met his gaze.

"I'll arrange for some guards as soon as I get back to my office; please keep me updated on his condition, Ryuzaki-sensei." Ryuzaki nodded in assent and smiled halfheartedly.

"You know I will, Kazama-san. You should hurry back and change your clothes, get some rest." She gave a slight nod and turned around to leave, the sound of her claques muffled by the lavish carpet covering the hallway floor.

Jin was tempted to go back in the room just to assure himself the man was still breathing, and most importantly that he hadn't dreamed the whole thing; that this was real. He glanced at his blood-smeared clothes and remained standing like that for a short while; and so refrained from touching the doorknob, tears threatening to well up in his eyes.

_No… he needs to rest._

Then he lowered his gaze to the floor before hesitantly but ultimately walking away from the room, his mind in a haze of chaos as he made for his study through the silent hallways.

_Hang in there._

----

Sarah was having trouble falling asleep, tossing and turning as the events of the day, the memorial service in particular, flashed in constant replay in her mind. Sometimes she thought of trivial things, such as how she could've done this and that slightly different. And sometimes feelings of longing and grief hit her full force, and she silently cried every now and then for everything she had been through in her life.

_Are you resting, Lars? Are you looking down at us; do you feel our baby, do you know?_

She felt strange about it, but it made her feel better, so she told herself he surely was resting in Heaven and that he was smiling down at her and their unborn child.

_I do hope it's a boy, and that he resembles you in every way and grows up to be just as honorable, intelligent and wonderful as you. That he inherits the same vague dimples when he smiles, just like you, dazzling everyone around him with that solid determination you held so naturally._

The thought made her smile and she knew she would somehow be alright. She knew she needed more time to mourn, to reflect and digest; to accept. But she had to make it, to go on fighting; the unborn baby inside her deserved all her attention now and she vowed to give it all she had, and make sure it was always well and healthy, and love it no matter what the circumstances.

She turned to sleep on her back, sighing as she hid her arms under the blanket, the refreshing air from the open window in her bedroom slightly chilly on her bare shoulders.

The incident earlier, in the hallway, crossed her mind and she wondered yet again what the reason behind Jin's weird behavior could have been. He'd been disoriented and cold toward her when they'd bumped into each other, and it had left an unsettling feeling inside her.

_He's never acted that way before._

She had snuck back out again, from the storage room, when the sounds of the footsteps had receded and the sound of a door closing had echoed through the hallway. She assumed the hallway would be empty following the silence, and she was right; she had hastily walked back toward her room but had heard somewhat loud voices and other sounds of machinery and beeping on her way there.

She had stopped and heard Jin's commanding voice and Dr Ryuzaki repeating an exclaimed _Clear_ every now and then. From the blood on Jin's clothes and his hurrying to fetch Ryuzaki to the sounds she heard from the room, she suspected someone was being treated.

_But for what? And why did Jin leave the memorial for this, as well as stay with this supposedly hurt person that Ryuzaki was aiding?_

For a mere split-second a tinge of pain twisted her heart of how it could, by some miracle, be Lars out there struggling; having made it back alive somehow. But she just as fast let the hopeful thought go, for she knew he wasn't alive, and would never be again. She had seen Lars' body in the coffin, and not a single pulse had gone through his veins. He was gone, and she knew it would be wiser to stop hoping and dream of the impossible. It had also been an entire month already, if not more, since the attack.

She turned her head toward the open window and gazed out at the starry night sky, and right then and there she saw a falling star. She frowned upon seeing the star, but immediately sighed with unshed tears in her eyes.

_Unless the dead can come back alive, there's no use in wishing upon a star…_

She had trouble even guessing at what might be going on though, and did not know if she should forget about it, in spite of the uneasy feeling it emanated, or follow up on it and perhaps even ask Jin about it in the morning. Pondering for a while, she decided she would feel for it in the morning and decide then, sighing as she gently stroked her belly.

_It's probably just a wounded officer or someone close to him in the administration._

The word 'officer' still stung her heart a little when she said or thought of it, she realized; the memory of Lars seeming to be in every word she said, in every place she went and every promise she made.

_It's surreal, the way my life has changed so fast._

But she had vowed to be strong in spite of everything and therefore she immediately blocked the surge of feelings inside of her with other thoughts, and closed her eyes.

_I had better try harder at getting some sleep; wouldn't want to miss breakfast with Ms Alexandersson tomorrow._

Soon she was fast asleep, dreaming of teddy bears, soft clouds and rain. And in the midst of it all, a baby inside a coffin, next to another coffin where the late Lars Alexandersson lie.

---

Days were going by smoothly, and Sarah had noticed how her routines had started changing slightly, her plate filling with larger amounts of vegetables and other foods she craved, than usual; the baby was growing like never before.

Jin was often busy and Sarah seemed to never have the courage to ask him what had happened the night of Lars' memorial, fearing it might have been a sensitive subject for him, whatever it had concerned. Xiaoyu had not been acting any different than usual since that night, chatting away with her friends and participating in activities and having fun; Lars' passing away had lightened slightly at the base whereas everyone slowly but surely started going back to their old routines and humor. But they never forgot, and so a huge poster scroll of Lars was put up at the base where soldiers practiced, as to respect and aim for Lars Alexandersson's high standards of what a warrior should be like, both in combat and in mind.

During this day's afternoon, Sarah, Xiaoyu and Julia had gone shopping for new clothes, prioritizing Sarah since her belly would only just about fit into her normal jeans, dresses and skirts nowadays.

"We also need to find something sexy and glamorous for you!" Xiaoyu exclaimed as they looked about at various expensive outfits. Sarah gave the Chinese girl a questioning frown as she put down her shopping bags on the floor. She stretched her back as Xiaoyu spun around to face her, reading the brunette's expression.

"For tonight, of course! We're going to the discotheque baby! It's for the tournament kick-off; Jin is announcing the King of Iron Fist tournament 6 tonight!" Xiaoyu embraced Sarah tightly and smiled, before taking her arm to walk a distance.

"Oh! This dress would look totally kick-ass on you, Sass! Come; let's have you try it on!" She literally dragged Sarah to the changing rooms before the latter even had a chance to size the dress up.

"So everyone will be there, including townspeople and other important figures Jin has invited. Okay come on out, let us take a look at you!" Xiaoyu continued outside the changing room, standing next to Julia.

As predicted, Sarah had looked fabulously star-like in the glittering, red dress that reached about a foot above her knees, revealing her slender legs. The back of the dress had a long slit, as to reveal much of her back, her shoulders bare, whereas the front held a V-shaped cleavage, revealing much less than the back. Her belly wasn't too big as to steal the beauty of her figure in the dazzling dress, in fact it barely showed in the dress, and Sarah had quite liked the dress just the way it looked on her.

"There's just this one thing; I'm not quite sure about the back, it's quite revealing you know, all the way down to my waist…" Sarah twirled as she watched herself in the mirror with the dress on, her back bare and naked; something she wasn't used to when it came to bold dresses.

"Nonsense! Your back is gorgeous as it is, what's to hide? You're buying this dress or I'm buying it _for_ _you_," Julia said as she put her hands to her waist, determined to convince Sarah of buying the rather expensive dress.

"Alright, you know what? What the heck! Ready to go wild tonight, missies?" Sarah said and teased with a wink.

"Now you're talking, Sassy! Woo-hoo!" Xiaoyu laughed and beamed at Sarah's words.

Xiaoyu had chosen a light-purple dress which boldly embraced her femininely athletic figure; it left the arms, shoulders and neck bare, the snake-like, shiny fabric starting from above her chest and ending, also, about a foot above her knees.

Julia's black dress reached slightly above her knees, and had three layers of silk loosely set under a thin layer of mesh-like fabric, the dress swaying beautifully when she twirled. A dark-red, silky belt embraced her waist with a cute rose in the middle, the upper part of the dress having a V-shaped cut at the front which was held together by dark-red threads. The upper part was, in contrast to the lower, tightly embracing her in a heart-shaped form at the front. The dress was further held in place by beautifully laced straps on her shoulders that ran all the way down to her waist in the back, intertwined.

Everything else that was needed for the night was bought and taken care of, and on the way back to the base Sarah had craved ice-cream which they agreed to buy as they had enjoyed the rest of the afternoon in the park, walking and talking of everything and nothing; Xiaoyu's birthday was mentioned, as it was nearing; the Chinese girl was completing her 22nd year of life, her friends, as usual, always teasingly emphasizing her being two years younger than they were.

Julia and Hwoarang were now in a serious relationship, much to Sarah's surprise, and Xiaoyu had chatted non-stop about her unforgettable moments with Jin Kazama, and how she longed to finally be married to the man of her dreams.

Her girlfriends' happiness both hurt and made her happy; she was glad they had found such beautiful happiness, but every time that unmeasured happiness was mentioned, Sarah felt like someone had made a hole in her chest and squeezed out her heart.

_Because I wished all of that for me and Lars._

Xiaoyu and Sarah had, a few days before the war, had a long 'girl-talk' of what their dream wedding would look like, what fashion they admired and if they would have kids in the near future. And in the midst of their amusement and laughter, Xiaoyu had beamed about how wonderful it would be if Sarah and Lars one day got married, and on the same day as Xiaoyu and Jin; _'it would be the biggest, most amazing and beautiful double-wedding ever!'_, Xiaoyu had said beaming out of her wits, embracing her dear friend.

_But memories are only fragments of the past, and that's all they'll ever be…_

However, Sarah told no one of her secret thoughts, her fragile feelings; she had to do her best to start life anew.

_And in the end I am so blessed to have such wonderful, caring friends. _

_So blessed._

"Sassy, Jules and I will be coming over at 10 to change and stuff; make sure you're there so you can let us in!" Xiaoyu had hugged her friend at the gates at that, Jules following up, the trio bidding each other a _see you soon_ before the Julia and Xiaoyu had left Sarah for their own rooms, heavy bags in their hands.

_I so need to rest before tonight._

And so she went in, locked the door and kicked off her shoes. Walking up to her queen-sized bed she threw herself gently on the bed, curling up on her side as she instantly fell asleep. An hour had passed and she was now in deep sleep, dreaming of nothing and barely shifting her position in her sleep.

A sudden loud knock startled her to awake, and it took her a few seconds to realize she was back to reality and that someone was actually knocking on her door. A barely audible _Open up!_ was heard from far away, and as she got to her feet and walked up to the door, she recognized the cheery voice to be Xiaoyu's.

"Sarah Alexandersson! Wake up if you're sleeping or get out if you're in the shower! _Sarah!_" Her Chinese friend seemed to be in a hyper-mood, her tone cheery and anxious for a night in the dancehall.

The brunette opened the door and let her two friends in, the two girls holding at least two bags each in their hands.

"We're gonna have so much fun tonight! I hear Christie's going bust a groove too! So I promised her we'd join in on our dance theme!" Xiaoyu said as she put down the bags on the sofa table and clasped her hands together, grinning.

"Capoeira?! I don't know squat of that—" Xiaoyu interrupted her immediately.

"No, no, no babe! Not Capoeira dance moves, _our_ dance theme! You know, the one we rehearsed for that party that never took place, remember? So, I signed _us_ three up and Asuka, Zafina, Anna and Lili. Nina will probably be busy guarding Kazama-san, though it would've been cooler if she joined; she sure was amazing at that rehearsal!" Julia was smiling and turned to look at her frowning, pregnant friend.

"Sarah, you know the moves like the back of your hand, stop calculating a possible situation and stop worrying! Come on, this isn't the Sarah I know; we used to have so much fun together!" Sarah finally smiled at her Native American friend, thinking she was probably right; she did worry too much nowadays.

"You're right, we used to kick ass on the dance floor. I miss those days." Sarah put her hands on her hips and looked up, reminiscing the days of them dancing, along with Asuka and Christie. Of how they'd perform on the big military stage outside the base, and how people quickly had started gathering and cheering on them. She'd give almost anything to have fun like that again.

"I'm so in!" Sarah cheerfully said with a big grin, and gave her friends a thumbs-up.

"Now you're talking, Sass!" Julia excitedly exclaimed as she reached for the articles in her bag.

"Which song have you chosen? I hope you chose our favorite." Sarah asked and walked up to her own bags, from which she hadn't bothered taking her newly bought items when she had returned from her shopping tour, rummaging through her things.

"'Beautiful liar" of course! _Freemasons remix_![4]" Xiaoyu replied with enthusiasm and made a move with her hips and hands.

"Oh, _we_ _know_ how to show off to _that_ beat, don't we girls?" Said Sarah and winked at her friends before resuming her looking through her things.

"Darn right we do!" Julia replied and started undressing, her newly bought dress neatly placed on the back of the sofa.

All three girls laughed and talked and dressed for several minutes, feeling completely up to the challenge of the performance.

"I'm so gonna blow Jin away with my moves!" Xiaoyu said with a rather serious tone, applying her makeup. Julia and Sarah snickered at her remark.

"Yeah you heard me; I shouldn't have to be the only one who has a nosebleed just by looking at my significant other. And that is to say the least. Tonight is my night, I'll show him alright; I'll show him who Ling Xiaoyu can be. And most importantly show him that Jin Kazama _can_ be completely phased by a woman." And after a few seconds of complete silence the three of them burst out laughing at Xiaoyu's serious mood.

"You naughty girl!" Sarah exclaimed with a grin and elbowed Julia in a playful mood. The latter grinned back and said, "You go girl! Show him what you've got!" She chuckled wholeheartedly and the Chinese girl grinned mischievously.

"And maybe we can even have Hwoarang join in if he's in a playful mood." Xiaoyu said, and immediately they all recalled the many times they would goof off with Hwoarang in training or in discotheques, making them laugh their hearts out at the image of a silly Hwoarang dancing to their moves.

Xiaoyu had decided to keep her hair loose, which reached slightly above shoulder-length; a part of her hair and her bangs were gathered up high with spray, in a flower-like fashion on her head. Julia had gathered all her up in a bold and messy bunch, colorful and tiny hairclips holding it up. Sarah decided she wanted some volume to her elbow-length hair, and had worn braids ever since her shower before breakfast the same day. She had now set her wavy hair loose, parting it on the side and spraying it in place. A golden colored hairclip loosely held a small bunch of hair on the non-parted side, as to give the hairstyle a little lift and glamour.

When they were all set with bold beauty, they walked out and made their way to the big party held in the huge main hall near the big stage. The place was already quite crowded as they made their way past cheery, dancing and chatty people.

The hall was more like a huge room, almost the size of a half soccer field, the roof of this part of the building made of glass, just like the one at the auditorium.

_And once again, Jin hasn't spared any expense!_

It was yet another starry night that beautifully mirrored the roof of the dance hall, the many colored disco lights stroking every corner of the hall, one after the other. The up-beat music was rather loud, currently playing Whitney Houston's 80's dance song "I wanna dance with somebody", and people had already gone up to the dance floor, moving like they were born to dance. Others were enjoying drinks by the bar and by the many tables that lined the walls and corners, surrounding the dancing area all the way to the bar.

"This song alone makes me want to dance." Julia said and twirled with a smile.

"Oh, there they are! Let's go talk to the girls!" Julia said as she spotted the others, and took the lead amidst the crowd, Sarah and Xiaoyu excitedly following her.

As they walked among the dancing crowd, Sarah suddenly felt her surroundings move in slow-motion, as it had many times before, the sound of the claques of her high heels slowly echoing in the loud hall. She felt a strange presence, like someone was watching her, her eyes moving right and left in reflex.

"Where's Christie?" Sarah's mind snapped back to reality at Xiaoyu's loud voice, realizing they had already stopped by two of the other girls; Asuka and Zafina. They were both equally gorgeous for the night and beamed with excitement; Sarah shrugged the uneasy feeling off and smiled at her friends.

"She's talking to the DJ on the stage." Zafina answered with an equally loud voice, trying to be heard above the loud music as she pointed toward the stage behind her. Julia then grinned and nudged Xiaoyu as she nodded in the direction of the bar.

"There's your prince charming; ready to take his breath away, Xiao?" Jin was seated by the bar next to Steve and Hwoarang, the Korean redhead seeming to be addressing them on something important.

"_Oooh yeah._" Xiaoyu said and grinned, and as the girls grinned Christie came down from the stage, a smile on her face.

"Ready to hit the floor, ladies?" She said and put her hands to her hips in a teasing pose; Christie was, as usual, wearing a bold and revealing outfit, though fittingly enough for moving in.

"Always! Where's Anna, I thought she was joining us?" Sarah said and looked around for the tall, Irish woman.

"She'll be joining us as we begin; she's busy seducing a soldier." The girls all giggled at that remark even as they felt the adrenaline kick of the upcoming dance.

And just as if on cue, "Beautiful liar" bassed through the huge speakers on the stage, boosting the adrenaline kick through their veins.

_I have to let go of my worries; this is it!_

"Let's do this, girls!" Sarah said and took the lead, the crowd parting to the sides as the girls all walked forward behind Sarah, toward the bar.

People started whistling loudly and exclaiming in awe their amusement of the swift and complex dance moves, many even clapping to the beat as if to cheer on the feel of the whole moment. Men were being glared at by their dates and girlfriends for swooning over the gorgeous women that were dancing to their heart's content, in the middle of the dance floor.

The moves were teasing and bold, swift and of top class; all girls were moving in perfect harmony, each and every step identical and synchronized.

Jin, Steve and Hwoarang had turned around when people had started clapping, cheering and whistling. And just when they noticed who the dancers were, their jaws nearly dropped at the sight.

"You've got to be kidding me; is that amazing lead dancer _Sarah_? And the _girls_?" Hwoarang said with a tone, not believing his eyes; all three men were left baffled and speechless.

"Damn, those women can _dance_!" Hwoarang exclaimed with a grin, and earned a grin from Steve at the remark. Jin, however, was so speechless and surprised he remained expressionless, drawn in by his fiancées teasing moves and gorgeous looks; she was as attractive as he'd ever seen her, and he felt a sudden strong desire to be close to her.

Xiaoyu winked at him but quickly regained her serious and competitive composure, moving her arms and hips, feet and head with the others, now at Julia's lead. Many people were now joining in, trying to mimic their moves, laughing cheerfully and _woo-ing_ at the beat of the dance. Sarah suddenly saw Nina, who was seated next to her son, Steve, grinning as she slowly walked up to the dancing bunch, like the foxy lady she was, taking the lead from Julia who grinned with consent at her joining them.

Louder whistles were heard and soon half the hall joined in on dancing, emphasizing the whole moment of moving lights, dancing chicks and encompassing feel, all the way till the exotic and up-beat song came to an end. The girls ended their dance with splendor and provoking poses, earning a loud cheering and several rounds of applauses from all around the hall.

The song was immediately replaced by "Disturbia" [5] and the girls laughed and put their hands together in a circle, shouting with glee at their perfect performance.

Many people resumed on dancing to the new song, the earlier adrenaline kick pushing them to the limit of the starry and magical night. Xiaoyu quickly ran up to her fiancé, the fast and short steps of her high heels echoing amidst the loud music. She circled her arms around Jin's neck on impact from her bumping him, kissing him deeply and not caring she was doing it so provokingly in public.

"Hello to you too, Xiao." Hwoarang teasingly said with surprise at her bold move on Jin, earning himself a short dismissive wave of Xiaoyu's hand.

"Dance with me." The Chinese girl seductively said to Jin when she broke off their kiss, which made Jin grin.

"Come on, _onegai_? I love this song!" She took Jin's hand in hers and pulled him up to follow her, not a word of objection escaping him. This both surprised and filled her with such glee she thought she would burst soon. The couple stopped a distance away as they danced in through the crowd, thus disappearing from Hwoarang and Steve's line of view, mixing with the rest of the dancing crowd.

"Let's go see the girls, shall we, _mate_?" Hwoarang said and grinned at his friend; the renowned British boxer, Steve Fox.

"Most certainly, _mate_." Steve replied, his grin never as mischievous before, and rose to his feet as he followed Hwoarang toward the girls, who, except for Xiaoyu and Zafina, were seated at a table a few feet away.

"That was so much fun! I could do it all over again!" Asuka exclaimed with joy as she put her hands in the air and let them fall gently on the table. The others smiled and cheered in assent.

"Excuse me guys, I need to use the rest room quickly." Sarah said and waited for the others to scoot over so she could get off the cushion behind the table.

"Sass, you okay?" Julia asked her friend with a worried expression on her face, her hand on Sarah's arm. The moving disco lights and loud chatting amidst the even louder music was making her nauseous.

"I'm alright, just feeling a bit queasy. I won't be long." Sarah smiled as to comfort her friend in reassurance, in reality feeling nothing but 'alright'.

"You sure? Would you like me to come with you?" Sometimes Julia worried about Sarah more than Sarah worried about herself.

"No, it's okay, really. Thanks anyway, Jules. Besides, I don't think you want to leave this table just yet." Sarah motioned with her head toward the crowd, where Hwoarang and Steve could be seen walking up to them. Julia chuckled and smiled at Sarah.

"Okay, don't be long. Call us if there's anything at all. I mean it, anything." Sarah thanked her friend and walked past the guys, greeting them as she excused herself to go to the restroom, and that she would join them soon.

When she had finally reached the end of the hall, she noticed there was a line of people waiting to go to the women's restrooms.

_Can't wait, what to do… oh, I'll use the guys' restrooms at the military base. Closest ones I can think of at the moment._

She hurried out of the double glass-doors, the air not too chilly this night and actually making her feel a little better. Outside the dance hall were an almost equally big crowd dancing, the music here the same as what was being played inside.

_The speakers are probably connected to the ones inside; I had no idea it would be lively out here as well. Neat._

As she walked amidst the dancing crowd, turning to her right, she thought she was tripping when suddenly something strong grabbed her wrist and swung her backward and to the side, throwing her to the ground, hard.

For a second she thought someone had bumped her by mistake whilst dancing, the blow to the hard concrete taking her breath away for a mere second, her back aching as she struggled to regain the sudden blackness in her sight.

The music was suddenly too loud in her ears, people dancing and chatting everywhere, a pounding ache in her head as she turned on her side to try to get up. When her sight came back she noticed one of the heels of her shoes had broke, for she felt a height difference when she wobblingly stood up from the ground.

When she looked up she was immediately hit to the ground again; she screamed with fright, her head luckily landing on something soft, perhaps on her own purse. She looked up at the attacker on top of her and saw it was someone with a man's build and strength, dressed completely in black; even his head and face were covered with black, only his eyes showing.

She went for his eyes, trying to poke them with all her strength, bending her fingers on impact; but the attacker started punching her belly so hard the pain was surreal and her arms dropped to the sides as she screamed in pain. Her mind was a hazy mess, her sight blurry with tears and she felt numb, unable to move. Trying her best to blink away the tears, she could barely make out a few people trying to drag the attacker away from on top her.

People's voices seemed to be distant all of a sudden, the music like drums inside her ears, her world yet again seeming to go by in slow-motion.

"Oh my God! _Someone get Kazama!_" someone shouted, yet barely heard above the loud music.

"Get him off of her!" another one shouted, people now trying to get between her and the attacker.

_My baby, please, not my baby…_

Sarah wanted yet again to scream from the pain and started coughing large amounts of blood as the attacker kept punching at her. She felt this was the end for her and the baby inside her, her body now completely numb from the pain and continuing blows.

People further away were still dancing to the lively music, having no idea about what was going on; many were slow on reacting to the aid of the people who were calling out to bring Jin Kazama.

But then suddenly a loud blow reverberated and shook the concrete ground next to her, and the punches on her had subsided. She heard the crowd loudly awe at what was going on, Sarah's eyes still blurry from tears as she tried to decipher what she was seeing.

Everything was happening so fast, when suddenly like the flash of lightning the attacker seemed to be getting abused himself, and knocked to the ground several times. The blows and sounds of cracking bones and electricity frightened Sarah immensely and she couldn't believe her body had yet another amount of adrenaline to kick off in her system. She could barely feel her arms and legs, yet her strong will of survival helped her rise up to her knees as she started hyperventilating. Her arms trembled as she supported her body on her hands and knees, her mouth dripping blood on the ground.

She suddenly felt very cold and the loud music was nauseating her even further, the pain in her stomach unbearable; she dropped to the ground again, not strong enough to stand up. She rolled to lie on her back, her head spinning from weakness. Turning her head around to face the noise, she saw guards running up to the now crippled attacker who was spasming from pain on the ground on his stomach. Someone was cuffing the attacker from behind, probably the man who saved her, the attacker's horribly dismantled arm twisted in an unnatural way as it was being linked to the other in iron cuffs.

Then Sarah's breath caught in her throat when she saw who her savior was. It was surreal, it was like a dream; it was a hidden wish. But then she immediately thought she must be in Heaven, the blows surely having killed her without her feeling the touch of Death to realize it.

In spite of her blurry sight and spinning head, there was no mistake about whom she was seeing, impossible as it was; infront of her knelt the man she had fallen in love with, for what seemed like ages ago. The man she had married and made a baby with; the man she had seen die infront of her in the sudden, cruel war.

_Lars?_

Her tears trailed down her face and to the sides, dripping on the ground she was lying on. Her heart was racing as she felt his warm hand on her cold forehead.

_I'm in Heaven; we can finally be together._

She slightly purred at his touch as she closed her eyes, welcoming Heaven's arms around her to take her away; but when the hand moved away from her forehead and the cold air hit her yet again she opened her eyes in shock and stared infront of and around her. She was still on the ground and there were people staring down at her with worried expressions, the music still playing loudly as she could barely move from the pain in her body.

He was still infront of her, a concerned look on his handsome face, his beautiful, crystal-blue orbs staring down at her with warmth. And then suddenly his face came close to hers, his nose an inch away from nudging hers.

_This isn't a dream, isn't a—I'm not in Heaven, what is—he is…_

Her mind was in shock with confusion and she started hyperventilating even more upon realizing the situation; she was still alive, and Lars Alexandersson, the father of her baby, was right there, in person, flesh and blood.

_Impossible, I'm dreaming…_

For a second she thought he was going to give her air by a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but he just as quickly wrapped his arms under hers as he lifted her up and pulled her into his arms. Sitting on his knees, he embraced her gently, stroking her back with gentle strength.

"Easy now, it's okay. You're going to be alright, just breathe slowly," he whispered into her ear, his voice so familiar, so sweet and comforting.

_Unless Heaven is a place on Earth..._

"In and out, there you go," he said and embraced her slightly tighter. She was suddenly aware of how close they were, his embrace giving her warmth and comfort from the cold; from the trauma and from her aching body, safe from harm.

Barely a minute had passed and she suddenly burst out crying, embracing him back with all the strength she had left in her weak body. Her hyperventilating refused to stop, and was made worse by her crying, her muffled sobs against his strong shoulder loud and interrupted.

_I never thought I'd hear your voice again. Never thought I'd feel your warm body so close to mine again. Never thought I was ever going to feel your heart beating against your chest, so close to mine._

"It's okay, you're safe now…" he whispered yet again, stroking her hair as he gently rocked her back and forth in his arms.

She didn't understand what was going on; Lars Alexandersson was dead. She had seen him get killed infront of her very own eyes, his corpse lying in the coffin, lifeless and pale blue.

_I mourned, I grieved, I made the most beautiful memorial for you; I took every blow, every tear and every heartache._

_Step by step, I prepared for an impossible life without you, and yet…_

She heard him shout '_hurry!'_ in Japanese at the approaching, medically trained soldiers. Sarah sobbed uncontrollably as Lars got to his feet, carrying her in his arms. He walked a few steps and laid her gently on the stretcher that the soldiers were holding up. He gently struggled for her to release her embrace from him, wanting her to get immediate medical aid.

_And yet…_

"It's going to be alright, these men will take care of you." It was still too surreal for her to hear his voice again. She let go of him but quickly took his hand and held it tightly, earning a squeeze back from it as he vaguely smiled; she didn't want to let go.

"Take her to Ryuzaki-sensei, be quick," Lars earnestly commanded the soldiers as he forcibly, but not harshly, let go of her tightly grasping hand. He backed away a step and allowed the soldiers to walk away, with Sarah on the stretcher.

_And yet… _

_somehow… _

_… you're still alive._

* * *

**A/n**: Another chapter! What do you think is going on?! :D

PS: Thank you so much for the reviews! They are all so amazing and much appreciated!

**Translations and notes**

1 – _Watashi o mite!_ – Look at me!

2 – _Ochitsuite!_ – Relax!

3 – Quote by Martin Luther King Jr.

4 – Beautiful Liar by Beyonce and Shakira. I imagined the _Freemasons remix_ version for the scene in the dance hall, since it's more up-beat than the album version (and I like it much better xD). If you haven't heard it before, do youtube it! ;)

5 – Disturbia by Rihanna


	12. Chapter 12

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

* * *

**Chapter 12**

"You're going to be alright, Sassy. And, _luckily_, the baby too," said Julia to Sarah; the thought of how cruel it was that her brunette friend had, once again, been brought back to the infirmary saddened Julia; it seemed whenever Sarah found strength to move on, something bad had to happen.

A day had passed already, and Sarah was now awake among her friends, in the infirmary, getting cheered up and comforted. Their presence lifted her spirits and she had already been briefed about the baby's surprisingly good health, in spite of the terrible attack; she would be able to leave in less than a day.

_Lucky indeed_ thought Jin and smiled at Sarah, the latter quiet and observing as her friends gave their best to comfort her.

No one had mentioned anything about Sarah's savior, Lars, yet, and it left Sarah uneasy; she wanted to ask Jin, having so many questions, but held back each and every time.

_I'm afraid to ask; what if I imagined someone else being him? They'll think I'm crazy. Now that I think about it, I _must_ have imagined him standing there, holding me. Lars is long gone. Oh, maybe I _am_ going crazy! Crazy from post-traumatic stress!_

"Can I get you anything, Sarah?" Sarah's racing mind snapped back to reality at her Chinese friend's words; Xiaoyu was sitting on a chair the opposite side of Julia, next to Jin who was standing.

"No, thank you; your comforting presence has been more than I could have asked for, thanks. I feel much better now. I _would_ like to rest, though," Sarah said and chuckled, earning smiles from her friends in return.

"Of course; give us a call if you need anything," Jin said and kissed her cheek, stroking her forehead as he let go. Julia and Xiaoyu both gave her a gentle hug and a squeeze of her hand before leaving their friend to embrace silence once again.

_This room is starting to feel like home…_

Sarah chuckled as she looked around, noticing the sound of the ticking clock amidst the silence. Sighing, she recalled her friends' questions and worry when they had come running in through the door to make sure she was alright, after they had been briefed by Jin.

They had mainly asked her how she was doing, and if the baby was alright, who the attacker was and why he had charged at her in the first place. Questions she had asked herself, but no one had answers to. Jin had barged in at the news from the soldiers, an expression of horror on his handsome face as the medical assistants treated Sarah; Dr Ryuzaki had struggled to keep him out of the room, trying to explain to him that Sarah was going to be alright, but he had ignored Ryuzaki's warnings to stay out and had quickly walked up to Sarah to hold her hand.

After the treatment and a change of clothes, Sarah was left alone in the room with Jin, the latter sitting on the bedside next to her. After continuously letting Sarah know he was going to do everything he could to find out why she had been attacked, and that he was relieved she and the baby were going to be alright, Sarah had been listening with only one ear; she was nervous and unsettled of the fact that she saw Lars at the site.

Now that she was alone, the nervousness grew even deeper and she couldn't sit still. She rose to her feet and started pacing back and forth, trying to decide whether or not she should ask Jin straight away, and whether it had actually been Lars.

_I don't think I really care about being perceived as crazy at the moment_…

Feeling a vague stomachache, she hugged herself and sat down on the bedside again.

_I have to see Jin, right now, while it's all fresh in my mind..._

She immediately stormed out of the room, wearing only the pale blue dress for patients, her bare feet receiving cold impacts from the non-carpeted spaces in the hallway. With Jin's study being only one hallway away from the private infirmary where she had been checked in, she reached it in no time. Ignoring the weird stares from the guards in the halls, she was about to knock on the door when suddenly a loud voice echoed through the halls to her left.

"Kazama, you _prat!_ Let's fight _right_—yes, oh yes I _love _this _lavish _carpet. Oh, and so… comfortable! So…" She saw how a drunken Hwoarang dropped down on his knees to touch the carpet before lying on it with a satisfied smile on his face; his lights were out in the blink of an eye. How the Korean redhead had managed to get in to this private building was beyond Sarah.

_Must've found some secret back door._

She briefly forgot why she was in the hallway, chuckling to herself at the sight of the very drunk and unsteady Hwoarang and his behavior this late at night. She watched as a guard picked Hwoarang up and carried him on his shoulders, and as the soldier neared the corner of the hallway Hwoarang spoke again.

"_Picasso_!" Hwoarang incoherently exclaimed before the guard disappeared around the corner of the hallway and carried the Korean male out through the huge, main doors. Smiling, she turned around and saw Jin Kazama's nameplate on the door she was standing next to, and immediately remembered why she had come, her smile fading. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door twice before entering.

Upon entering, she saw Jin was sitting on his luxurious desk chair, talking on the phone. He frowned when their gazes met, seemingly surprised at her visit. Sarah waited as he quickly ended the conversation and walked around the mahogany desk, leaning against it to face her.

"Sarah, what are you doing out of bed; you need to rest or you'll be staying there for far longer than a day. What brings you here?" She turned around and started pacing, hugging herself as her mind battled with which words to choose for speaking. But when her eyes settled on the luxurious carpet she was standing on, her mind wandered elsewhere and she turned to look at him, smiling.

"I thought I should let you know I saw Hwoarang in your hallway just now; does he have access to this building?" She saw how Jin raised his eyebrow, looking as serious as ever upon hearing this.

"_What?_" Jin firmly said and crossed his arms, still leaning against the mahogany desk.

"He was drunk, saying something about challenging you; he really didn't make any sense." She repressed laughter at the memory of Hwoarang's behavior.

Jin seemed to have realized something, immediately saying, "Damnit, that idiot has my swipe card." He reflexively patted his pockets and Sarah couldn't help but laugh out loud.

_"Hwoarang_ has your swipe card_?"_ Sarah frowned with a smile on her face.

"I've been looking for it since last night, when we were in the dance hall," Jin said and sighed as he rolled his eyes at his friend's antics. Sarah lowered her gaze at his last words, remembering yet again the reason behind her visit; her buoyant behavior settling down.

When Jin noticed the sudden silence, and saw how Sarah had cast her eyes down, he stared at her with concern.

"What's wrong, Sarah?" He walked up to her and held her by her shoulders, tipping his head to the side to have a look into her lowered gaze.

"Jin-chai… I…" She didn't know how to begin, or what to say, semi-dreading the possible answers she might receive.

"Yes?" His grip on her shoulders was firm but not tight.

"Is there something I should know, something you're not telling me?" Her voice was shaky with nervousness, her eyes till cast down.

Jin remained silent for several seconds as he let go of her shoulders. When she dared look up to meet his gaze, she saw it was questioning, but solid.

"Jin?" He studied her for a while longer before speaking.

"You know, don't you? You've—" She immediately interrupted him.

"Tell me I'm not going crazy, please, I couldn't bare it, please Jin…" Tears welled up in her eyes but she wouldn't break her gaze off his, seeking answers to steady her restless heart.

"You're not going crazy." He said in a gentle, calm voice.

_It's true then…_

"I don't know how to tell you this, Sarah. I've tried to tell you so many times, replaying the dialogue in my head over and over again, but I'm afraid for your health, and the baby's…" He turned around and walked up to the door, her watering eyes following his every step.

"Is Lars alive, Jin?" Her abrupt and straight-forward question startled him slightly, and he saw how she desperately sought a straight answer. Jin stood there motionless, staring at her.

"Jin, just tell me; _is he?_ Is that what you've been meaning to tell me?" She walked up to him, her eyes pleading.

"Let's walk back to your room, we can talk there." He opened the door and gently supported his hand on the small of her back as he led her out into the hallway.

Both of them remained silent on the way back, with Jin stealing a glance at her every now and then. When they had reached the infirmary Sarah walked in and turned around, arms crossed as she waited for Jin to close the door and face her.

"How do you know—" Sarah quickly interrupted him.

"He saved me; the man that attacked me was suddenly being pulled away with force and I could barely… believe _my eyes_…" Her voice was lowered at the end of her sentence, her tone sad.

"Hey, _okay_… Sarah, I wanted you to know before you saw him, I wanted to explain first. There are important things you need to know." He hesitated for a short while.

"What _things_? How about a simple 'Lars is alive' when you found out? Or how about 'Sarah, the father of your baby isn't _dead_' ?!" She was crying now, but remained calm. She looked down on her belly.

_Daddy's alive…_

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you right away, but there were good reasons for it." He walked up to her and wiped her tears away, "You're not going crazy; Alexandersson came back to us approximately four weeks ago."

"The corpse… who was lying in that coffin then? Did he just get up one day, alive and well?" She felt restless, tempted to start pacing again. Leaning her head on his chest, she gave a shaky sigh as he embraced her gently.

"Believe it or not, the man we mourned for was an android." He said and stroked her back.

"_What?_" She couldn't believe what her ears were hearing.

"We are certain it was G-corp.'s making; during the war, briefly after Alexandersson had told you to run for cover, when he was taking you to safety, one of the robots had managed to capture and drug him almost instantly to unconsciousness, inside some sort of capsule." Jin recalled the story Lars had told him many times over, the statement now logged and filed in the database.

"How do you know this?" Her expression showed surprise, her gaze sharp but confused.

"Alexandersson told me all about it."

"Then what?"

"Everything happened pretty quickly, and since you were running off for safety, you never witnessed it. Apparently, Alexandersson was immediately replaced by this android, looking exactly like him."

"But I saw blood when he was shot, it looked like flesh, and I saw _real_ blood; what kind of an android is that?"

"Quite an advanced and complex technology, that's for sure." He let go of her.

"But why? I don't understand, Jin; for what purpose would Lars be replaced by a clone?" She gazed at him with tired eyes.

"We have many theories, but we do believe he was to fool us into not suspecting a difference, as the cyborg would gather information from this base and report back to G-corp. headquarters. _How_ I don't know, 'cause the security here alone requires your fingerprint for specific access, and then a code and swipe card to add to that." He took her hand to lead her to the bed.

"You should get some rest now, Sarah." She slid in under the covers without arguing as he tucked her in and sat on the bedside, holding her hand.

"What happened to Lars? Where did they take him, what did they do to him?" She tightly held on to his hand, squeezing it to ease her nervousness.

"Sarah, please—"

"_No_, tell me; I need to know, please…" Jin felt her uneasiness and sighed, casting his eyes down as he gently stroked his thumb on her perfectly manicured fingernails.

"They um… he'd been abused…" He was reluctant to continue, and she voiced the rest of it out, as if on cue.

"_Tortured?_" Her throat choked on the word and she swallowed hard with anxiety.

"He's alright now, though he needs to rest a lot."

"_They hurt him._" She sobbed and wiped off her tears, exhaling gently as she tried to regain her calm composure.

"He's healing pretty well, Sarah; it'll be alright. But I'm having a hard time keeping him away from work." Jin smiled at this and looked to comfort his female friend, but she couldn't even attempt a vague smile and felt sick to her stomach.

"Listen, Sarah… there's something else you should know about his condition." Sarah immediately met his gaze with a worried frown, anxiety starting to nibble her insides again.

"He—" Sighing at the sound of his interrupting cell phone, he fished it out of the inside pocket of his black MC jacket and checked the caller ID.

"Excuse me," Jin said as he stood up and walked a distance away from Sarah. He answered the caller on the other end and spoke in Japanese, his voice calm, uttering few words in response.

_Lars looked strong and healthy last night; what could possibly be wrong?_

She felt restless yet again and took deep breaths, nearly cursing the caller on the other end for disrupting Jin when he was about to tell her something important.

"I'm sorry, I have to leave immediately; we'll have to resume this conversation later." Jin briskly walked up to her and embraced her, smiling as he retreated.

"But—" She protested.

"Later, I promise." He nodded slightly in assent and left the room, carefully closing the door behind him.

_Well that's just perfect… I'm not going to get any sleep like this._

She slumped down in the bed, sighing as she looked up at the ceiling, her mind wandering from the silence in the room, to the rain hitting the window pane, to the sound of heartbeats, to…

_Lars._

It was still surreal to fathom Lars was alive, after everything she had been through since she had found out he was dead and hadn't made it. Now she was being told he had been alive all this time.

_Tortured…_

She covered her face with her hands and allowed herself to cry in order to ease her heavy heart, thinking of what he must've been through, held captive.

_How I long to hold you, to kiss your pain away, to say 'I love you'… to let you know you're going to be a father. How I miss listening to the sounds of your beating heart, reverberating against your strong chest._

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and exhaled gently, somewhat tired of her sensitive nature, but never wishing her life had taken another turn; twists and turns of fate had brought her to Lars Alexandersson, giving her blessings of love and marriage; a tiny soul as evidence of their love, a soul that was waiting to grow and see the world for the first time. It was all so much more than she felt she was worthy enough to ask for, but her prayers must have been heard at some point or another, and, ever since Lars came into her life, she was lead by love. She ran toward the bright side of the world since then; she ran with hope, passion and faith.

Sarah turned to lie on her right side, feeling as if something inside of her was urging her to scream her heart out.

_After everything that's happened in my life, it might be just what I need…_

But just as the insane thought crossed her mind she heard a gentle but firm knock on the door. A short while passed before the stranger walked in, quietly closing the door after entering.

"Back so soon, Jin—" She froze when she turned around and laid eyes on the visitor.

Lars gazed at her with a smile and stopped about three feet away from her bedside, hands hidden behind his back.

"I hope I'm not bothering you, but I thought I'd come by and see how you were doing," he said and went quiet. His blue orbs scanned the room for what seemed to be a chair, but he didn't move from where he was standing, even though there was a chair right next to her bed.

"I… I-I don't bite, you can come closer, have a seat." She attempted a smile as she repositioned herself against the pillows supporting her back, feeling her face grow hot from embarrassment as she quickly fixed her hair with her hands.

_I'm not ready for this! What do I say, what do I do??_

He chuckled at her shy nature and her heart melted at the familiar, sweet sound that escaped his throat; his vague dimples showing as he smiled at her remark.

"Well, neither do I, so you needn't be so tense and nervous." He showed his hands before taking a seat next to her bed, revealing a bouquet of beautiful flowers that immediately filled the room with a delightful scent.

"Formality aside, I thought they'd lift your spirits a little; they smell wonderful." He handed the bouquet to her and she gently placed her hands around the stalks above his, briefly touching his hands as she did so. She cast down her eyes as she accepted the flowers, feeling more embarrassed by the second.

"That's very kind of you, they're beautiful." She smelled them and closed her eyes briefly at the peachy, wonderful fragrance.

"Let me put them in some water for you, I think I saw a vase on the counter when I came in." She thanked him and handed him the bouquet, watching his back as he filled the vase with water and placed the flowers inside. When he walked back he placed the vase of flowers on the bedside table, located next to his chair.

"I hope everything's alright?" His tone of voice was that of a genuine, concerned nature. He took a seat and she was suddenly semi-distracted by his question, her mind popping up all sorts of questions to battle.

_Why is he so cold toward me? Not even a hug? Something's wrong, he's way too formal._

"Miss?" It took her a while to register, but upon realizing he had used the word "miss" to address her Sarah froze with eyes wide open, covering her mouth with her hands in a reflexive gesture.

_No… no, no, no, no… no, not this, don't do this to me, please no._

"Would you like me to go get the nurse? Miss, are you alright?" Her earlier conversation with Jin immediately flashed in her mind and she recalled Jin saying there was something not right about Lars' condition, something Jin needed to talk to her about.

_He doesn't know who I am… he doesn't—he doesn't _remember _me! Oh my God, he must suffer from amnesia of some kind. He doesn't—he—_

She panicked inwardly before backing away in her bed, tears rapidly starting to roll down her face. She felt like a million knives were stabbing her at once, the souls of fate pointing and laughing in her face. She wanted to leave the room and run away, destroy whatever was in front of her as she traced the wheels of time; she wanted to scream.

Her cover was suddenly being pulled down gently, startling her already fragile state; she flinched and looked up, seeing the worried expression on Lars' handsome face.

"It's alright, miss. You're safe here now, you have my word," he said, his gaze questioning but determined.

_Over and over again I have to deal with pain, with heartache… what is going on in this world; my soul must be floating around in a cruel dream._

She somehow managed to keep it together and, for the third time this night, wiped the tears off her face as she looked away.

_Why bring him back to me only to take him away? He's so close, but still so far away…_

"I'm sorry, if you're uncomfortable I can leave…?" She wanted anything but that.

"No, please. Forgive me; I've had a hard time digesting everything that happened to me last night. I didn't mean to make you feel offended." She couldn't bring herself to smile to reassure him, as much as she wanted to, prompting him to continue.

"I promise I won't be long, I… came to let you know that the man that attacked you last night died from severe injury a few hours after the attack. And I alone am to blame for this, and I am deeply sorry; I never thought he'd die before giving us answers, but he was beyond help." He looked disappointed as he lowered his gaze, seemingly embarrassed for what he had done, and couldn't face her with the news.

"I'm going to do everything I can to find out whom he was and who sent him, and why you were his target. I have assigned two bodyguards to make sure you're always safe from now on…" He still wouldn't look her in the eyes, his own darting left and right, still disappointed in the owner of them.

_Oh, darling…_

She placed her fingers under his chin, raising it so he would look her in the eyes when she spoke to him; his eyes shone with determination, a warmth that moved her to the very soul of her body.

_How I missed your strong gaze._

Marveling at his eyes for a short while, she then said, "You have saved not one, but two lives, and I am forever in your debt, owing you my soul, _my everything…_," and as she let go of his chin he immediately grasped her hand, gently. Holding it as he covered their hands with his other, his gaze never left hers, both their eyes shining from the feelings in the air. The slightly opened window had let in the fast-paced wind to play with their hair, wind chimes 'singing' with the wind outside.

It was as if a magic wand had appeared and frozen time with a spell, their gazes forever locked in a moment of passion and shared grief. But a single tear that traced down Sarah's cheek interrupted the moment just as fast as it came, his thumb already reaching to wipe it away.

_No, don't look away…_

"Quite complex dance moves you performed there at the tournament kick-off party, you girls were quite good," he said and broke the silence after clearing his throat; he leaned back into the chair again, hands twined together, arms resting on the sides of the chair.

_Was he the presence I felt when I had just walked into the dance hall last night?_

The thought made her shiver inwardly, knowing it could mean a kind of sixth sense was forewarning her of Lars' return. Her dream alone had left her uneasy the whole of the night before the dance, as dreaming her own baby in a coffin next to Lars' had only given her the feeling the baby was going to be in some danger, and ultimately die. But dreams did not always mean something, and she could never have predicted she was going to see Lars, ever again.

But she had ignored the signs, and the consequences gave her one surprise after the other; it had taken its toll on her mentality when she had been brought to the infirmary by the medically trained soldiers.

_I can't believe he actually watched me _dance_ like that…_

"Thanks…" Her cheeks were heating up again and she simply wanted to hide under the covers from embarrassment, feeling as if the two of them had barely just met in this lifetime. She managed to smile, wholeheartedly, and he returned the smile, staring at her as she looked away.

"What um… what are your theories of why the attacker would want to hurt me? Do you have any suspicions?" She wanted to change the embarrassing subject, but at the same time she wanted to hear Lars' thoughts on how they were to proceed now; the attacker had, after all, not survived Lars' abusing him the night of the kick-off.

"Well, we have one theory thus far; we think it might've been by means of getting to Kazama, as we believe that G-corp. is behind this; have the head of the Zaibatsu act out irrationally at the death of someone he loves and G-corp. advances another step into ruining Kazama's rule of both the Zaibatsu and the world. Not that Kazama is easily fazed, mind you. And that is to say the least." He stated this as if it were pure fact, seeming solidly determined his theory would hold up for the most part, and it deeply comforted her; they had some solid ground to walk on. But the thought of what might've happened, had the attacker managed to kill her, frightened her.

Sarah noticed how she sometimes would stop concentrating on what Lars was saying, listening only to the voice she had missed so much, absorbing it within her whole being, watching his lips move as he talked and how she longed to kiss him. She felt like a silly high school girl with a crush on Mr Popular, not being able to take her eyes off him.

_I don't think he's ever been this handsome. Ever._

"Oh, I almost forgot; I'm Lars by the way. Lars Alexandersson." He gave his hand to shake hers, and she took it without hesitating, ignoring the voices in her head that kept reminding her of the fact Lars had no idea of who she was.

"Sarah Alex—" She hesitated at saying her last name, not knowing whether or not she should use her maiden name.

_Oh snap, should I…, ah, what the heck!_

"Alexandersson; Sarah Alexandersson." She said but then instantly regretted it for some odd, unknown reason that welled inside of her.

"Oh? We share names alike; are you Swedish?" He frowned at her reply with a beaming smile, slightly leaning forward in his chair with anticipation and interest.

"It's—no it's the name of my late husband. He um… he died recently in the war with G-corp. Well, I mean, yes, I _am_ Swedish, but um, well I, uh…" She was blabbering and didn't know what to say or what she _had_ said. And she had no idea why she chose to lie to him; she could simply tell him who she was and that they are married, that she was pregnant and she had mourned his death. But she didn't, and she didn't know why. She felt powerless over what held her back.

_If he doesn't remember me, perhaps due to amnesia or the like, shouldn't I remind him? Help him remember?_

"My condolences," he said and broke the silence, seeming to be eyeing her with suspicious interest.

"That name is uncommon here; was your husband a warrior?" Lars asked calmly, but with piqued interest.

"Y-yes, an officer—" She immediately regretted her answer. Yet again.

_Stupid, Sarah! Stupid, stupid! _Oh_, what have I _done_?!_

"That's strange… I'm pretty sure there hasn't been any officer with the name of Alexandersson at the Zaibatsu before. Other than me, that is." He narrowed his eyes at her answer, seeming to assess the information with caution, trying to put the confusing pieces together.

_Maybe he hasn't lost all his memory? How can he remember and keep track of the other officers? Man, I'm seriously screwed now!_

Then suddenly there was a knock on the door and Sarah was tremendously relieved that the door-knock interrupted the coarse tension between her and Lars; she exhaled gently and smiled as Jin entered the room, her cheeks rosy.

"You're… _here_?" Jin said with surprise at Lars' presence in the room; he walked up to the blond Swede and looked at him.

"Yeah, I thought I'd brief Ms… Alexandersson on the death of the attacker and the placing of bodyguards to keep her safe." Lars looked at Sarah a while longer before turning to face Jin, standing up as he did so. An awkward silence followed as Jin suspiciously eyed Sarah and the whole situation of her talking to Lars this soon, before breaking eye-contact and addressing Lars.

"I've been trying to reach you, is your phone out of service?" Lars frowned at his friend's words, fishing out his cell phone to have a look at the reception.

"Oh? That's strange…" Lars said and punched in a few numbers, holding the phone at different heights as if to check for a stronger reception.

"What is it?" Jin asked as he took off his long coat, placing it on the back of the chair Lars had been sitting on.

"There's no reception at all. I had it a while ago… sorry, I'll take a look at it later; what was it you wanted?" Lars pocketed his phone and looked at Jin, his hands in his pockets.

"Ryuzaki-sensei was looking for you a while ago; she wants to see you as soon as possible." Jin said, expressionless.

"I'll go see her right away, thanks." He turned around and looked at Sarah.

"Ms Alexandersson, I hope you get well soon," he said and nodded at her with a smile, walking past Jin and closing the door after him.

Sarah immediately got out of bed and looked as anxious and nervous as Jin had ever seen her. His sharp gaze followed her paced steps, his mind questioning her sudden change of composure.

"It's like he's— is that what you wanted me to know? About his condition?" Her voice had become slightly louder, and her eyes were cast down as she spoke and gesticulated with one hand.

"Sarah—"

"He has a memory loss doesn't he? It's, I can't believe it, I don't understand…" She resumed her pacing back and forth, her voice suddenly shaky.

"Yes… it seems he's—Sarah? _Sarah._" He walked up to her and firmly held her by her shoulders, by means of getting her to calm down and look at him.

"He seems to be remembering everything and everyone… except for you." He stood frozen like ice at hearing his own words, dreading her reaction already. He watched as her eyes widened, feeling her shoulders tensing.

"_What?_" she whispered, a hurtful tone in her gentle voice.

"It's a—"

"No—"

"Short-term amnesia—"

"_No_—"

"Ryuzaki-sensei believes—"

"_No!—_"

"_SARAH._"

Jin's loud and snapping voice silenced her sad outrage, and she turned around to stand by the window as she looked out on the street, not paying any attention to the falling snow outside. She sobbed and wiped at her tears, her back turned to Jin.

"Sarah… it's only a _short-term_ amnesia. He's got a good chance of putting the pieces back together; we just have to give him time. And space. You have to believe in him, in what you had together." Jin dared walk up to embrace her from behind, his chin touching her shoulder when she decided to speak.

"It's like… like he's still dead, Jin. It's worse to see him alive as a stranger, than knowing he died at least remembering what he loved," she whispered and sobbed again, placing her arms on top of Jin's embracing ones.

"We have to believe he can do it, Sarah. He needs elements in his every day life to trigger his memory. But I need to warn you that you are not to, under _any_ circumstances, reveal any sort of information about his past life to him, especially when it concerns his memories with you. You are not to tell him who you are and what you had, and you have to remember to choose your words wisely when he's around." Jin feared Sarah would slip up if she would start spending time with Lars, and he feared he ultimately might have to keep them away from each other to avoid any risk for destroying Lars' memory, by having her utter the 'wrong' words in Lars' presence. But he also knew hell would break loose if he kept Sarah away from Lars.

"What are you saying, Jin?" She moved her head slightly, confused by his words.

"His memories can easily be destroyed if you voice them out to him. He has to struggle with them on his own, or he will never regain his memory. Telling him who you are and what you had puts his chances for remembering you at great risk. You must take this very seriously, Sarah."

"Will he _ever_ remember…" she whispered, more to herself than to anyone else.

"Have faith, Sarah. Patience is a virtue."

"But some never regain their memory in such a condition, do they?"

"Sarah, don't—"

"Do they? What if he never remembers me? And what about my baby? It's _his_ baby, Jin!" She escaped his embrace and turned around to hug him, sobbing again.

Jin could say nothing to that remark, returning the embrace tightly as an unwelcome lump formed in his throat; he had to believe his friend would remember his wife; the woman Lars had fallen in love with instantly, and had been so happy with.

They both had to have faith in their love.

--

_Time is too slow for those who wait._

_Too swift for those who fear._

_Too long for those who grieve._

_Too short for those who rejoice._

_But for those who _love_, time is eternity._[1]

* * *

**A/n**: I have so many ideas juggling in my head I can't keep away from my computer nowadays; you have no _idea_ how many ideas about how I want the story to progress have been written down in this one document; it's several pages long!

Anyway, do let me know what you think of the story so far and, as always, I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. Thank you so much for your amusing, funny, heartwarming and amazing reviews! ;)

**Translations and notes**

1 – quote by Henry Van Dyke (one of my favorite quotes!)


	13. Chapter 13

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

**A/n**: I bought the limited edition of TEKKEN 6 for the PS3!! *dances around* The game is so kick-ass cool (and erm… well, it takes a lot of practice to chain moves together =/ but); _Lars_ is already a favorite kick-ass character; thumbs-up for the honor we Swedes get for the amazing Tekken fighter to represent Sweden! B) And omg, some of the ending movies (esp. Steve, Xiaoyu, Lee, Heihachi, Kazuya, Kuma) are so darn_ funny_ I couln't help but watch them again and again; I simply couldn't stop laughing! xD Hilarious, namco. Oh and, Psn-s anyone? If you'd like to exchange, send me a private message and we'll play sometime. ^___^

Now, I thank you for the patience and wonderful support and reviews, and here's hoping you'll enjoy this chapter! =)

* * *

**Chapter 13**

Sarah was frustrated with her friends; they had known for weeks but had not told her about Lars being alive. She would call them just to vent out, and they would comfort her, prompting her to move on and accept the rough reality. Whilst knowing all along.

She understood they had no choice in letting her know, for Jin had asked them not to say anything. Even if they were close friends with her and would gossip about everything; she knew that.

But Sarah still argued that she could just as easily have seen Lars at the military training base, which she passed by almost every day. Or see him walking the halls of the Zaibatsu main quarters, where Jin had insisted she stay to be safer; soldiers and officers patrolled there all the time.

"Sarah, please calm down; Jin assigned Lars to work _outside_ of the base, on purpose. He knew you'd bump into him otherwise, and the situation with Lars' amnesia would complicate things for the both of you. Lars still needed to recover and Jin wanted more time before he told you," Xiaoyu said and leaned back into the chair. Julia, Xiaoyu, Asuka and Sarah were having dinner at a restaurant near the Mishima Zaibatsu, with Sarah still slightly hurt with the fact her friends had been quiet about Lars.

The restaurant was the coziest place Sarah had ever been to, next to Jin's private den; it had quiet waterfall walls on one side, and on the other two sides were huge windows that had the most amazing view of the city from above at night; the restaurant was located at quite a high altitude. The colors were warm, seats and tables spacious and elegant; candles were lit everywhere and the fireplace that partitioned the restaurant into two areas gave off an ambient feeling of _home_, luxurious yet comfortable.

They often had dinner at this restaurant, and Sarah often saw other tournament participants there. Jin regularly ate there; if it wasn't in the company of his fiancée Ling Xiaoyu, it was of other important figures and friends of his. Sarah had often seen Jin and Lars at the same table, before she had gotten involved with the Swede, as they would mostly have breakfast or dinner together to discuss work.

Sarah observed her friends at the table, not knowing what to say after listening to Xiaoyu's explanation. She guessed she merely needed to get a grip of the situation about Lars' coming back to them and the state of his amnesia; she often wondered how it came about that she seemed to be the only person Lars couldn't remember. Did G-corp. have some sort of technology that enabled tampering with a human's memories? Had he been tortured in a way that made him forget a few of the people closest to him?

Ryuzaki had explained to her how, sometimes, after an accident or even by commonly known torture methods and the use of drugs, people could have a very hard time remembering important people in their lives; they may have either a partial or complete recovery of their memory depending on what type of amnesia they suffer, thus depending on what they have been through. Some may repress their memories as a defense mechanism, but when it came to short-term amnesia the patient had a good chance of remembering the past. What Lars needed was being around past familiar environments and important people in his life, regardless of his knowing who they were or not.

What people around him were not allowed to do though, in order to preserve his chances of regaining his lost memories, was telling him what he couldn't recall. Feeding him his past with raw information and, to him yet, foreign facts could 'overwrite' his lost memory, where stored past memories would mix with new perceptions he then would have to try to envelop, digest and accept. Telling him he was married to a woman he couldn't even remember the face or name of, would be like telling him to live someone else's life, thus risking his chances of ever reaching his past ever again.

Lars Alexandersson needed to remember Sarah on his own, and the price for that struggle and sorrow was sometimes too much for her to handle. She noticed time and again how she had trouble knowing what to say around him, for she feared she would slip up and mention something she shouldn't. She never saw him very often, but what she had noticed about him more than anything was how sometimes she would catch him staring at her; he would seem to be deep in thought, but then immediately snap back to reality and smile at her for being caught off guard. It literally made her heart race, leaving her head spinning from lust for the man she had married but did not have the right to be so close to.

And it got her thinking; was his brain processing his past when he'd stare at her like that? Was it that he remembered something; was she familiar to him in a way? Would he ever remember, or did the stares mean something entirely different?

Sarah sighed, cast down her eyes and said with a gentle tone, "I cannot even begin to explain how lonely I feel inside when I see him; knowing I'm a complete stranger to him when he's so close to reach, not being able to tell him who I am, and that I carry his child." She looked up as her gaze met the serious faces of her friends.

"You ask me to learn patience, but how can I be patient when I'm forced to be around him so often but can't love him? My life is _right there_, but I can't touch it, can't embrace it…" Her eyes slowly darted from one friend to the other before she sighed and turned her head to lean on the back of the chair, looking out at the big city through the huge windows to her right.

_The countless times you'd take me high up on the roof of this building, to see the stars, the beautiful scenery of the city below at night. I miss that. I miss _you_..._

After a brief silence, Asuka said, "Sarah, it'll be alright. He'll remember in time, he has to. Don't do this to yourself; it can only do you harm, and the baby. You have to stay positive, have faith in him." The Japanese female held Sarah's hand and spoke with a concerned, gentle tone; Asuka had resolved all her issues with Sarah regarding Steve Fox weeks before, and fate had surprisingly restored the girls' bond of good friendship and even made it stronger.

Just as Sarah had turned her head to smile at her best friend, she glimpsed what seemed to be Jin entering the restaurant, and looked in his direction; he hung his black coat next to the entrance and immediately spotted her upon turning around. Jin stood there looking at her, and then smiled. Not in a way of greeting, nor in a happy-to-see-you way either. It was a genuine, rare smile she sometimes saw back when they were romantically involved. It was the same smile he had flashed her the night of the incident with Steve, at the bar, when he had visited her at the dorms. She had never seen him smile that way toward anyone else before, even now that he was involved with Xiaoyu. And it made her hidden longing for the past weakly pull at her split heart.

A memory of their first kiss briefly flashed in her mind, and she found herself responding with a bittersweet smile, albeit the blush dusting her cheeks. They gazed at each other for what seemed like the longest time, his smile never fading and his gaze solid.

_Why does he still smile like that at times? Is he aware; does he not know it tears me apart every single time? That adorable smile…_

Asuka had noticed Jin standing by the entrance and looking in their direction, and noticed he was looking directly at Sarah; the latter staring at him with flushed cheeks. The Japanese woman slightly narrowed her eyes at their staring at each other with smiles on their faces, but remained silent as she observed Sarah, wondering not for the first time why moments like these sometimes came to be between Sarah and Jin. But just then a woman in charge of reserved tables approached Jin Kazama; he turned to the woman, still smiling, and replied to her respectful greeting. After a brief moment, Jin was lead to a table located behind the girls' table, two tables away.

"Chin up sweet, let's get your mind focused on something else; about time we ordered some dessert, yes? Let's see…" Julia trailed off as she looked at the menu in her hand, and the others did the same, eager to try something new; Julia and Xiaoyu were oblivious to the way Sarah acted around Jin sometimes. Sarah often wondered if Xiaoyu knew of Sarah's past relationship with Jin; would it matter to the Chinese girl if and when she found out? Had Jin told her; had she heard it from someone else? If she knew, why would she avoid mentioning it to Sarah?

_Maybe it doesn't bother her. Maybe, to her, the past is the past._

When everybody had ordered their desserts, Sarah looked up on reflex when someone passed by their table and noticed it was Hwoarang seemingly walking up to Jin's table. He had an evil smirk plastered on his face as he supported himself by leaning forward, his elbows on the edge of the table where Jin was at. Jin's back was facing Sarah thus Hwoarang's face would be directly in Sarah's line of view, and her line of view in turn was between Xiaoyu and Julia, who were sitting infront of Sarah on the opposite side of their table for four.

Jin and Hwoarang's conversation was barely heard, and Hwoarang wouldn't stop smirking as he listened and replied to Jin's indifferent, expressionless demeanor. Just then, Lars entered and, in a semi-hurried manner, hung his coat and scarf as his eyes scanned the restaurant.

"Due east, Sweden!" Hwoarang waved Lars over and the Swede grinned at the remark of his Korean friend as he walked up to the table which Jin sat at. Lars said something, not audible to Sarah, seemingly addressed to Hwoarang, which made the redhead laugh out loud before giving Lars a sarcastic, expressive military wave of respect with his hand. Lars only grinned wider and chuckled as he took a seat in front of Jin, the two exchanging nods of respect.

"_Ladies_." Hwoarang said in a flirting tone when he passed by the girls' table, smirking as he winked at Julia at the last second. They all smiled at how cute Hwoarang was when he acted on a whim like that at times; he'd rarely but naturally befriend his rivals and opponents, whereupon he'd challenge and provoke them at the same time; Jin seemed to always be the Korean's primary and favorite target for that.

Sometimes, Hwoarang was one big mystery to Sarah, and his antics always made her smile.

Hwoarang went back to sit at his table, his company that of Steve, Marshal, Paul, Lei and Bob.

"What did that silly goofer do _this_ time?" Julia said, mostly to herself, as she turned her head around and looked back in the direction where Hwoarang had come from. She saw Jin and Lars were seated at a table not too far from the girls', and rolled her eyes as she turned her head back to look at Hwoarang.

"Figures; I don't _even_ wanna know…," Julia rolled her eyes and took another spoon of chocolate fudge. The other girls lightly giggled at Julia's serious mood toward her Korean boyfriend; Hwoarang just _had_ to say something to Jin whenever the latter happened to be in the same room or in sight.

Then Julia smiled at his antics and said, "I wish he would've said something about them guys having dinner earlier than planned, we could've reserved a few more seats and had dinner together with them." She gazed at Hwoarang telling jokes to the guys; the center of attention as always.

Asuka noticed how Nina Williams had joined Jin and Lars, and immediately her gossipy side flickered on.

"Girls, huddle," Asuka said and made a small gesture with her hand for the girls to huddle closer at the table.

"Did you know," she said and turned and looked around before continuing.

"That Nina Williams is Steve's mother? I'm still having trouble digesting this fact since Steve told me." Everybody whispered an exclaimed _what_ in disbelief and looked at their young Japanese friend with wide eyes.

Except for Xiaoyu.

"Yeah, I know; Jin told me months ago. I was just as shocked when he told me you were his cousin from his mother's side, Asuka. I could never have made the connection, in spite of both your names being Kazama." Xiaoyu took a sip from her strawberry milkshake and smiled.

"She's too young to be Steve's mother; how is that even possible?" Sarah asked with disbelief still expressed on her pretty face as she faced her best friend.

"Cryogenic sleep; that's why Nina is actually older than she looks. And Steve and Nina only recently found out, you know. We aren't the only ones who're shocked at the secret news. Besides, now that I think about it, they do resemble each other in many ways." Asuka leaned back against the chair and gazed at the huge fireplace.

Then she abruptly exclaimed she had almost forgotten to show them something, and took out a fashion magazine from her bag and flipped through the pages; Julia and Xiaoyu moved in closer to have a look. Sarah too turned to look at the magazine but had a sudden feeling of being stared at. In her mind it sounded crazy that she should sense someone staring at her, but she had paid a high price one time too many for rejecting her intuitions in the past. And most of the times when she _did _have a feeling of being stared at, she actually was. So she slowly looked up on reflex and immediately her eyes settled on Lars, two tables away.

He was staring at her, solidly without blinking; without expression. Her ears slowly but surely started blocking out the giggling sounds and chatter from her girl friends, and the faint murmur of people dining, her mind only registering the sudden attention from Lars. Her eyes set into tunnel-vision where she neither heard nor saw anything or anybody else around her than him. It was as if she was alone with him on a road floating above clouds, where they stood on the opposite ends of it facing each other, and nothing and nobody else was around but them and the road they were standing on.

Sarah was so engulfed by his stare in this strange moment it was as if she had spaced out, not moving a single muscle or blink once. When a smile slowly formed on his lips, her heart started to race so fast she could swear it had made its way up her head, banging against her skull. Her breathing quickened ever so slightly, and she uncontrollably smiled back, embarrassed about the bold staring contest. Her eyes darted back and forth between Lars, who was still smiling, and the napkin on her lap, wanting to run up to him and embrace him and tell him who she really was in his (past) life.

But she refrained.

It wasn't just the fact she was forbidden to tell him who she was, but she herself felt too shy when she was around him to begin with. That shyness alone surprised her because it made her feel as if she had just met him in this lifetime.

_It's like falling in love for the first time… I'm falling in love with him all over again._

At some point her brain had registered a strange silence, and her dream-like state disappeared when she faced her quiet friends. They were all staring at her, expressions questioning; Sarah was speechless, nervously fingering the napkin on her lap.

"Sass, you keep spacing out, what's going on, sweet'?" Julia turned around even as she said that, wanting to know what Sarah had been staring at. The Native American woman had called Sarah's name several times before Sarah had returned her attention to the girls, and Sarah's sudden pink cheeks had piqued a suspicion in the girl.

"What were you—" Julia stopped mid-sentence, turned back around and nudged Xiaoyu before grinning widely, staring at Sarah.

"What?" Sarah said and felt more nervous by the second.

Julia had noticed.

"Look behind you Xiao, two tables away; guess who's stolen the attention of our dear Sarah," said Julia with a teasing tone, a grin still plastered on her face.

"What? Who?" The Chinese girl turned around and immediately exclaimed an interrupted _Oh_ before she turned around to face Sarah; Xiaoyu had the widest grin Sarah had ever seen expressed on her friend's face, and it made the brunette uneasy, but aware.

"So… _Sarah_; are we checking out a certain handsome _officer_ tonight? Hmm? Dreaming away, are we? Certain _wild_ fantasies in our pretty head?" She nudged Julia back and the girls giggled at Xiaoyu's words, Asuka joining in with a full-fledged, loud laughter. By now all three of her friends were laughing out loud, non-stop.

Sarah wanted to hide under the table from embarrassment, even though she knew her friends were only teasing her like they always did. And she didn't know why it embarrassed her that they had caught her off-guard staring at Lars, but the fact that Lars was still staring at Sarah, now with a grin, didn't work in her favor of calming down; had he somehow heard what Xiaoyu had just said?

"_Wild fantasies!_ May I _remind_ you he's still my husband? I can fantasize all I want!" Sarah whispered, not too harshly.

"Look who's blushing! You're so cute, Sassy, we're just teasing you, babe!" Xiaoyu said in-between her laughter. Sarah stuck her tongue out at them, her cheeks red from embarrassment. She looked at Lars, shrugging with her hands in mid-air as she slightly nodded toward her laughing friends, as if to tell Lars they were crazy with no cure. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard him chuckle loudly in return, his eyes quickly gazing at the laughing girls before he looked back at Sarah, smiling genuinely.

Sarah exhaled quickly but gently, chuckling at her friends' behavior as she supported the side of her head with the palm of her hand, elbow on the table, and watched them in silence until they settled down their laughter.

"_Oh_, I think we, sort of, attracted the attention of the boys," said Asuka as the girls' laughter settled to a girly giggle; Asuka waved to them and smiled at Steve.

Upon locking gazes with a smiling Hwoarang, Julia pointed at Sarah before making a slight movement with her head, nodding at something behind her. Hwoarang's eyes followed Julia's finger to Sarah, back to Julia and then turned his attention to whatever Julia was motioning at farther away.

He saw Jin's table and realized immediately what Julia was implying, grinning widely at the situation as his michievous side kicked in. Sarah looked back at the guys quickly before turning around again, and—

_Don't tell me I just saw Hwoarang smirking back there. Do _not_ tell me—_

She turned her head back again and saw how Hwoarang just sat there, one arm resting on the table and the other on the back of the chair, staring at her and grinning. She quickly turned around again and inwardly cursed at the situation.

_Oh, crap and falling sheep! Now he'll never stop teasing me._

"Oh, what have you done, Julia?" Xiaoyu cheerfully exclaimed, and before Sarah had time to turn around and see what the girls were looking at, she felt an arm around her left shoulder. She looked up to her right and met Hwoarang's foxy eyes.

And a teasing smirk.

"Hwoarang," Sarah said almost with clenched teeth, as if to greet him with cold suspicion, and turned to glare at Julia. He huddled closer to Sarah, his face two inches away from hers.

"_A la Alexandersson_ for two?" Hwoarang said with a deliberately heavy, French accent, his arm still around her shoulder. This immediately triggered the girls' laughter yet again, this time louder than before, earning them a few stares from strangers in the restaurant.

"Oh, go away, Hwoarang!" Sarah whispered fiercely and elbowed him in the gut; he exclaimed a sarcastic _ouch_ at the blow as he put his hand to rub the now sore area.

"Baby, you hurt my _feelings_," he said with a mischievous grin and turned around, emphasizing his teasing her by singing_ He loves me, he loves me not_ as he walked back to his table a short distance away. Julia, Xiaoyu and Asuka were almost out of breath from laughing over Hwoarang's playful behavior.

"_Excuse me_, while I pay a visit to the restroom," Sarah said with a tone and stood up, smiling inwardly at her friends' silly ways of having a laugh at her expense.

* * *

"Kazama," Lars called on Jin and rested his back on the chair; he had wanted to ask Jin a few questions in private days ago but never got the chance. Now that Nina had excused herself to take a phone call out on the terrace, behind huge glass doors and windows where she could be seen, he took the opportunity immediately.

Jin looked up from the papers and met Lars' gaze, the latter laid back but determined about something. The Japanese male let go of the pen and leaned back on the chair, prompting Lars to continue.

"Sarah Alexandersson…," Lars started but then hesitated as he turned his gaze past Jin to see her walking away from the girls' table, toward the restrooms.

"Yes?" Jin had a questioning tone, and slightly narrowed his eyes upon hearing Lars' mentioning of Sarah's name.

_Alexandersson? Did Sarah tell him that was her name?_

"You seem to know her well; do you two go way back?" Jin could only grasp at straws at what the Swede was implying with the sudden question of interest; he let it linger a while before answering.

"We do, we're very good friends, and I care about her. Very much." Lars nodded ever so slightly in assent as he cast his eyes down, seemingly deep in thought at the answer he recieved.

"She told me her husband died in the war, she bears his last name still; I don't remember anyone else but me with the name of Alexandersson at the Force. Was there?" The blond looked up again and met Jin's solid stare.

_He's putting pieces back together already… is he suspicious?_

"She did? Well, maybe you just forgot because of your amnesia. There might've been another Alexandersson at the base—"

"She told me he was an officer, and Swedish. She told me she's Swedish herself."

_Just how much did Sarah tell him?_

"She _is_ Swedish. Her husband was too. I didn't know him very well, but if she says he was an officer, then he probably was."

"We're only a few in the Tekken Force, I'm telling you there has been no Alexandersson here before, unless she would mean me, and that's…" Jin felt alarmed when Lars stopped at that sentence, eyes slightly widening.

"What?" Jin asked with a serious tone, suspicious. Lars didn't respond and held a hand to his temple, head facing down.

"Alexandersson? Are you okay?" Jin was ready to stand up but Lars met his gaze with a vaguely pained expression on his face.

"Yeah, I… I just had this stabbing headache all of a sudden. You were suddenly a white haze and my head started pounding." Lars gently exhaled and put some pressure on his temples for a short while.

"Don't do that, it's probably from your amnesia. And you don't rest as much as you should." Jin motioned for the waiter to bring a glass of water.

"Does that happen often?"

"Lately it has. It's like… the way it feels when you have a déjà vu feeling. I get this familiar emotion but I can't connect it to something I can understand." The Swede rested his elbows on the table and looked at Jin.

"I guess that's progress; seems to me like your brain is exploring memory cells already." Jin faintly smirked and took the pen in his hand once more, observing the drawings and notes of the base.

"Maybe." Lars noticed Sarah had gone back to her seat next to her friends and immediately remembered what he wanted to talk to Jin about. He waited until the waiter had placed the glass of water on the table and left.

"I want to ask her out." Jin accidentally drew a short line across the paper upon Lars' words, ruining what he had just written. He stared at the line, his mind not concerned with the fact he needed a new copy of the military notes he had just ruined, but rather with where this conversation was going.

Jin remained the way he was, towering over the papers with his elbows on the table. His eyes moved to look at Lars, expression hard to read. Jin was surprised his friend had shown an interest in her so soon; they barely knew each other.

_Emphasis on 'barely'; it's too soon for his own good._

Sighing inwardly, Jin looked away before facing Lars again, "Okay?" he said in an almost rhetorical manner. Lars faintly smiled and scooted closer to the table.

"I'm telling you this because you seem to know her well. Do you think it's too soon after her husband's death? I mean, would I be insensitive and imposing if I asked her out now?" Lars' tone implied a genuine attraction to Sarah, but also a thoughtful one at that.

"You're attracted to her?" Jin's bold question had Lars taken aback for a brief moment, and he gazed at Sarah in the distance, chatting happily with her friends.

"Are you being sarcastic?" Lars asked as he stared at Jin once more, narrowing his eyes at the question.

"Why would I be sarcastic?" Jin slightly raised an eyebrow.

_Did I sound sarcastic?_

"She's… there's something about her I can't place. I want to get to know her better."

"That doesn't have to equal getting romantically involved with her, you didn't answer my question."

"I am."

"What?"

"Attracted to her."

"I see."

_He's going to fall in love with her all over again._

"You seem to think that is a problem?"

"You do know she's pregnant?" Lars didn't reply immediately, gazing straight into Jin's eyes.

"Why don't you want me to ask her out?" Lars observed Jin with a lion's eyes, his mind juggling results of Jin's statements as he waited; treading carefully, but boldly.

"I didn't say that."

"You're implying it."

"No, I'm not."

"You seem uncomfortable about the idea."

"If you want to ask her out, it's none of my business. But to answer your earlier question… If you ask me, I'd say it _might_ be a bit too soon to ask her out. But it's up to you to decide." Jin didn't know what else to say; it wasn't like he could protest and say 'no'. It would trigger Lars' suspicions even more, and that was something they were advised to avoid by Ryuzaki. If they acted without having an explanation ready, Lars would try to decipher the situation and feel a sort of distrust toward them; he might even take it the wrong way. And Lars was too smart for his own good most of the time, which meant they had to be very careful around him.

"I wonder if she's involved already…," Lars said more to himself than to anyone else. His heart was racing at the thought of her being with another man. He didn't know why.

"I doubt it," Jin said firmly and placed papers everywhere, looking for a specific sheet.

Jin turned around and saw that Nina was still on the phone, and when he turned back around he saw Lars was staring at something behind Jin. He guessed it was probably Sarah, and turned his head to verify his suspicion; he was right.

"You really like her?" It was a statement rather than a question, and Jin wondered how well the two of them knew each other thus far. Kazama took a sip from his tea cup and stared at Lars, who gazed back at his friend in silence. Lars merely smiled as Nina came back to join them again.

* * *

"Wow, he really _is_ checking you out, Sarah," Asuka whispered close to Sarah and smiled.

"So soon too," Julia cut in.

"That's just remarkable, considering they barely know each other— well, technically speaking. If Lars asks Sarah out before this month is over, I'll never wear pigtails again." Xiaoyu was smiling but her tone of voice was serious; all of them had turned around to look at Lars when Asuka had spoken, but Lars had resumed being busy discussing matters with Jin before Xiaoyu and Julia had had the time to turn around.

"I'd think twice before making that definite, Xiao. I'll bet my tournament ticket that Lars will ask her out either this week or the next." Xiaoyu cocked her head to her left and smirked at Julia's statement.

"Looks like you won't be participating in the tournament then, Jules."

"You _mean_, it looks like _you'll_ never be wearing pigtails again, sweet."

"Oh? You on?"

"Bring it." Asuka and Sarah merely stared at their friends with a frown.

"Girls, please, no wagers." Sarah sighed but then smiled.

"I'm just saying, Sass; if Lars falls in love with you all over again, and this soon, _before_ he has regained his memories of you, I _promise_ I will never wear pigtails again. I'm _that_ sure he won't do it; what are the odds, seriously? Though that would mean he really was head over heels in love with you before, for him to fall for you twice in a lifetime."

"You'd be darn lucky if he fell for you again. Unless you start off with the flirting." Xiaoyu grinned.

"Or not, Xiao," Julia said indifferently and turned around to face Sarah and Asuka.

"What?" Xiaoyu turned around and looked at Julia with a questioning glance.

"Okay: say he asks her out and then slowly but surely falls in love with her; we all know there's a huge risk for that."

"_Risk?_" Xiaoyu went on.

"Well don't you see; they would then create new memories and Lars in turn would risk never remembering who she was in the first place. What she meant to him. I don't think that's the way you want to live your life, Sarah." Julia leaned back in her chair and looked at Sarah as everyone went quiet. Sarah noticed how Julia's eyes darted down at Sarah's pregnant belly, as if to imply that everything Sarah did from now on would involve the baby too, and that she shouldn't forget it. Sarah knew that, but sometimes she didn't think that far ahead as Julia did.

"I don't mean to be a party-pooper, Sass. But think about it; you're risking everything by going out with him before he remembers you. Everything." Julia saw how Sarah had gazed at Lars and then cast down her eyes, looking sad.

"Sarah, honey…" Julia reached to hold her hand, sympathizing with her friend.

"So, what you're saying is I should reject him if he asks me out?" Sarah hand gently escaped Julia's and she looked out the windows at the burning lights of the city below.

"It's your choice in the end, but think twice before you act, Sarah. The line you're so tempted to cross is thin and fragile. Only you know what he meant to you, what he _still_ means to you. Think twice." Julia gave Asuka and Xiaoyu a concerned look, and they responded back with worried eyes before gazing back at Sarah.

"Do you realize what you're asking me to do?" Sarah looked away from the windows and met Julia's gaze.

"Sarah—" Xiaoyu started but was interrupted.

"Maybe I won't risk losing him for good if I reject him, but that would just give another woman room in his life until, one day, he _might_ remember me. And by then it'll be too late for us. I'd rather die than see that happen." Julia could tell Sarah was hurt, and the subject seemed too sensitive all of a sudden. She decided to remain silent to that remark.

"Sass, you know Lars isn't the type to—" This time Asuka was interrupted.

"He fell in love with _me_, didn't he? He might just as well find someone else, it's not like there's a shortage on gorgeous, intelligent and sweet women around here. He's only human." Sarah buried her face in the palms of her hands and sighed. Asuka put an arm around her and gave her friends a worried look.

Sarah looked up again, saying, "And rejecting him would be like indirectly saying I'm not at all interested. He'll never approach me again, and then when and _if_ he starts remembering, his brain will refuse to connect something wonderful with me. 'Cause why should it, when that same person had rejected him in the first place." A tear rolled down her porcelain-white cheek and she quickly wiped it away before breaking eye-contact with Julia, sobbing lightly.

"All I wanted was a normal life… again and again I have to keep hoping, I… _I'm so tired_…" She cast down her eyes, mumbling her last words as she moved the champagne glass on the table.

Steve had stopped dead in his tracks when he heard how upset Sarah had sounded. He was on his way to the restrooms when he'd heard her, unable to move another step as he stood behind the tall plants.

_Poor soul… fate keeps laughing her in the face all the time._

Steve stood there for a while longer, the following long silence from the girls prompting him not to cross their path at the moment. He decided to walk back to his table and pay the restrooms a visit at a later time.

"I need some fresh air, excuse me." Sarah rose to her feet, put the napkin on the table and walked toward the terrace. Her friends saw she was upset, but let her leave without saying anything.

As Sarah neared Jin's table, the terrace being further away behind it, her tear-filled eyes unwillingly locked gazes with Lars for the brief second she passed him by; there was just enough time for her to notice that he looked concerned when he saw her upset state.

She stepped out and walked up to the railings as she rested her elbows on them, hearing the glass doors close behind her. Gazing down at the city below, she sighed and noticed how high up they really were. It was quite an amazing view.

As the wind played with her hair, she looked up and saw the night sky was filled with stars. She took in the breathtaking view of burning lights, billions of light years away, as her mind wandered off into the past.

"_Don't open your eyes just yet."_

_"I won't, if you promise not to let go."_

_"Almost there. Okay, open."_

_"Lars…"_

_"Beautiful, isn't it?"_

_"Lars it's—it's breathtaking…"_

_"See that bright star over there?"_

_"Mhm?"_

_"It's yours."_

_"What?"_

_"It's a gift for you. I named it after you."_

_"Lars? ... Are you serious?! You bought me a _star?_"_

_"I don't know what to say."_

_"It's a memory for you to hold on to, should something separate us someday."_

_"Lars…"_

_"Happy birthday, Sarah."_

_"I love you so much."_

_"Make a wish."_

She watched her star burning brightly in the black sky; a diamond among pearls.

Ironic, how predictive Lars had been about the possible fate their love might face one day.

Ironic, how she was to lose her best friend.

Her life source.

Her solid ground.

* * *

**A/n**: -- **GAME STORY SPOILER! Do not read this if you don't want any story spoilers from the game!** -- I've received some reviews and comments on whether or not Lars' amnesia in the actual TEKKEN 6 game story (campaign mode) is linked to the one in _my_ story.

I'd like for everyone to note that it was purely coincidental that I chose for Lars to have amnesia in my story; I only bought TEKKEN 6 today (30th of Oct) thus what my dear reviewers said was verified; Lars actually _has_ amnesia in the game's story itself, due to a blow to his head.

In this story you already know that Lars (as opposed to what happens in the game itself) remembers _nearly_ everybody and everything, except for Sarah; in the game he can't seem to remember anyone initially, let alone his name and status.

I had actually already planned his having amnesia several months ago (not long after I published the first chapter of this story, which was at the end of last year or very early in January this year), so when I found out from reviews and comments (recently), questions about whether or not this had anything to do with the actual game story, which also told Lars had amnesia, I was simply put amused; what I had imagined to be in my own Tekken fan fiction turned out to be real in the actual game xD.

I mean, what are the odds?! :D 'Cause I had no idea when the thought popped into my head for the story (nor did anyone else for that matter since it was too early on for the TEKKEN 6 campaign mode to be revealed by namco).

Anyway, I also wanted you to know that this story may not always abide by the story rules in the actual game; in my story, by now Jin Kazama has already announced The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 (before Sarah was attacked outside the dance hall) but Lars is still working for him at the Tekken Force (in the game Lars is _already_ leading a rebel army, more than half of Jin's Tekken Force, _against_ the Mishima Zaibatsu, believing Jin Kazama has gone crazy wanting to take over the world what with his strong military force and seemingly indifferent violence). Lars may or may not turn on Jin to stop him as the story progresses; this remains to be decided.

So Lars is still an officer leading the Tekken Force, executing covert missions under Jin's rule of the Mishima Zaibatsu. However, the opposing force in this story, much like the game story itself, is the G Corporation led by Kazuya Mishima, out to get Jin Kazama; this chaos is now interrupted further by Jin's announcement of the 6th Tekken tournament.

**Please note** that, unless stated otherwise, everything in this story abides by the story and interactions of the TEKKEN 6 game itself. Meaning, for instance; if I don't mention anything about how close Nina and Jin are, then you must assume their relationship is as played out in the game (if you've played it that is; if not then I hope the interactions in this story alone is satisfactory either way :P).

**Spoilers continue** (sorry); apparently Nina and Jin are very close, so close that Jin actually lets her in on his plans of taking over the world and _why_ he does the things he does. Simply put, he shares all his plans with her and trusts her completely (even if Jin doesn't always explain _all_ his actions to her; he shares when he deems it necessary, but that still means he shares most opinions and info with her). You also know by now, having played the game or not, Nina is Jin's bodyguard (I think I also mentioned this in the second chapter?).

**Furthermore**, Xiaoyu is out to stop Jin in the game; in my story she's engaged to him, thus living under the same roof with him. Although, I did mention in the notes of the first chapter of this story, that Jin had hosted a place for the participants to stay until he actually announced the tournament. I wanted most of the TEKKEN 6 characters to be under the same roof or living close to each other in my story, as to have the possibilities of them interacting more often than in the game (and even befriend each other and have fun when they're not fighting). That's why in this story the setting is almost the same as in the game; meaning the main opposing forces _are_ the Tekken Force (Mishima Zaibatsu) and G Corporation, Jin _wants_ to take over the world for a personal reason, military bases are everywhere, the Tekken force is handed missions to carry out, Nina and Eddy work for Jin Kazama etc etc. Just like in the game itself.

**END OF SPOILERS HERE!**

**So what I said earlier always goes**; if not stated otherwise in the chapters, this story and the characters' relations and interactions, and history, abide by the storyline and interactions in the TEKKEN game series.

**To my Dear readers**: I love your reviews to bits! They're so sweet, and funny and helpful. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, for they mean a lot to me as a writer. If you're someone who hasn't reviewed before but still reads this story, don't be shy to review! I would be most happy to receive feedback! And it doesn't require you being a member to review my stories; it would help me improve and give me assurance if you spared me a few words before you left. =)

Thanks again you guys! See you next time! ;)


	14. Chapter 14

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

* * *

**Chapter 14**

It was like being thrown down a deep water well, crashing against syringes with their long needles pointed upward, stabbing you through and through on impact; the darkness that followed in the small excavation bitterly swallowing what was left of your hazy sanity.

Stumbling toward her bedroom as she held on to the walls in the hallway, her body shook from the intense pain in her stomach. Then another stab-like feeling impacted against her belly from the inside, forcing her onto her knees on the carpeted floor.

"Oh, God…," she managed to say as she struggled to stand up, wondering with hidden frustration why the halls had to be empty of guards on this particular night; when she was in this particular state and need of help.

She didn't know what was wrong with her and why; she had walked back from the restaurant with her girl friends and the boys where they had separated before reaching the dorms. Xiaoyu lived in the same building as Sarah and would usually have walked back with her, but Xiaoyu had promised Julia to help her out with something before they called it a night. Sarah had politely declined to go with them, saying she was too tired to walk the distance twice before she could finally go to bed and rest.

Jin and Lars had stayed at the restaurant even as the girls had paid the check to walk back to their own place. Then Hwoarang and Steve had decided to head back with the girls, the two couples holding hands while Xiaoyu and Sarah chatted away about the tournament in the background.

Immediately upon entering the building, all by herself, she had felt vague stab-like impacts inside her belly, but ignored them when they just as quickly had disappeared. Her ignorance had been challenged when she had turned the corner; the pain had turned so severe it had brought her to her knees and she had been forced to support herself with her hands on the carpeted floor. It was also then she had noticed there were, strangely enough, no guards around.

Sarah struggled to calm down her panicked breathing as she steadied a hand on the wall next to her trying to stand up. When she finally did manage to stand up she fell back down on her knees; it was too painful to stand up straight. She inhaled deep breaths through her nose and exhaled gently through her mouth, but it did little to alleviate the aching; she held her arms in an embracing fashion around her belly and bent forward, her head almost touching the carpet.

Just when it had seemed like she had been sitting in the hallway for the longest time, she heard muffled sounds of rapid footsteps. It was almost as if the sounds had come from behind one of the many doors that lined the hallways of this private building, and it had Sarah's eyes darting left and right on reflex without her moving her head, which was still hung low to the floor. But then the sound got too loud for being muffled inside a room, and immediately upon her perceptions she felt an arm around her from her left. Flinching slightly, she gasped at the surprising touch in the silent hallway and looked up at the stranger steadying her. Her eyes settled on the person she had least expected; Lars Alexandersson. On any other occasion she would have simply stared at him and smiled, embarrassed about the situation and shy of how close-up he was. And she did feel like she was in a way forgetting about her pains in her belly as he knelt there next to her, asking her how she was; but she was unfortunately still majorly aware of how she was physically hurting, and that awareness wouldn't stop pulling her down with force.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" When Lars saw her lips tremble, her arms around her belly, he immediately reached for his cell phone to dial for help, but she stopped him by putting her hand on the screen, covering it as she looked straight into his eyes.

"Lars, I… it's okay. I think I just need to lie down." She supported her left hand on his shoulder and tried to slowly stand up as he took her other arm and told her to steady her arms around his shoulders so he could help her up.

He put his arms around her waist in an embracing manner and slowly rose up till she was standing straight. When suddenly realizing how close they were, she slightly drew back her head as her gaze went from his lips to his warm, piercing eyes.

_I want to stay like this, I don't want him to let go, I want to kiss him, I want him to kiss me…_

Her mind wandered off as she gazed into his crystal-blue eyes, thoughts and memories blocking out her pain and tricking her into the past. Lars noticed how she had started staring at him in her silent reverie, but then just as quickly her face had boldly inched closer to his; almost a peck on his lips as her embrace tightened.

As tempting as she was, Lars knew better than to take advantage of her vulnerable situation; _if that really is the case_, he reminded himself. Jin had used the word 'might' when he had told Lars it was probably too soon to ask Sarah out, what with her husband's recent death in the war and everything. But Lars often wondered if her glances and weird actions toward him meant something else; did she want to get to know him the way he wanted to get to know her? Or was she just looking for support the wrong way, comforting herself by attempting to mess around with a guy she barely even knew?

He had no doubt she was asking for his permission to kiss him this very moment, the way she was pecking him and how her eyes seemed dreamy. If he was being truthful to himself, he was this close to kissing her himself; to run his hands through her silky brown hair and hold her close and explore his feelings. But he didn't give in to this voice of careless actions, and he gently cleared his throat as he looked away.

_I can't do that to her. I won't._

Realizing she had spaced out for a minute and that she in reality was standing in the dimly-lit hallway alone with Lars, her pain briefly forgotten, she stepped back from her embarrassing embrace. She smiled at him and looked away, blushing at her actions, but before she knew it another sudden pain surged through her and she reflexively put an arm around her belly; tempted to sit back down on her knees again.

"Okay, alright, I got you," Lars said with a gentle tone as he immediately reached with his right arm around her waist, steadying her against him as he prompted her to start walking. When his hand touched the side of her belly, she froze on the spot; the adrenaline surged through her in a split-second as she felt her baby kicking for the first time. Her eyes widened and she gazed down before looking up at Lars.

"You've got quite a lively one in there," Lars said as he smiled at her, but slowly stopped smiling when he saw the worried look on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I… it's just, this is the first time I've ever felt the baby at all. It's the first time he's kicked me."

_You felt your daddy, didn't you sweetheart? You felt daddy close by, and it made you happy._

She knew his touching of her belly had prompted her baby to kick her for the very first time. She didn't know how to explain it, because to anyone else it would sound silly in every sense, but she just knew. It had been a strange feeling; her baby had kicked immediately upon his warm touch, a connection between father and son creating an invisible bond in those brief five seconds that it lasted. Well, she hoped it would be a boy in there, even if she adored girls; she had constant dreams of having a son and she was almost certain it was a boy growing in there.

_It could have been a fluke; the baby's first kick just a coincidence. But somehow I'm finding it hard to believe. 'Cause it… it felt so differently strange, so… wonderful and genuine. Meant to be._

"Oh, it must be a beautiful moment for you then." Even as he said those words, she couldn't help but wanting to smile; and smile she did, but how bitterly sweet it was.

_When will your memories knock on my door, Lars?_

"It is. Though, startling, to say the least!" He chuckled at her words and she found herself chuckling back at the sweet sound escaping his throat.

Nearly halting all the way through the hallways to her bedroom, with Lars supporting her from falling, they had finally reached the familiar door.

"Oh, we're here already—" But Sarah stopped mid-sentence upon realizing something, looking up to face him.

_He knew which room I stayed at… Oh my _God_, he instinctively knew where my old room was at; he remembered._

"Oh um, my swipe card," she abruptly said and looked away as she rummaged through her purse for her key card. When she found it she swiped it and punched in the code; the tiny red light turned green for access, followed up by a _beep_ and the sound of the door unlocking.

Lars helped her inside and walked her up to the mahogany-colored sofa as he gently let go of her. Sarah exclaimed a sigh of relief and rested her head on the back of the sofa as she closed her eyes, one arm on the armrest and the other on her belly. Indulging in the comforting but awkward silence for a short while, she then opened her eyes to see that Lars was staring at her, smiling.

_Oh my, I almost forgot he was here._

"You okay?" His gentle, calm and caring tone of voice sounded so seductive in her ears she realized she had never found it this difficult to struggle with restraining her urges. So she looked away; certain she would at any given moment jump on him if she did not distract herself from his strong gaze.

He was smiling, gazing straight into her eyes, when a strange déjà vu feeling struck him and he spaced out; the way she was sitting on the sofa, her hair, the dress, the moment itself at this hour seemed so familiar all of a sudden he could have sworn it had all happened before. Specifically in this room.

_Specifically with her._

"Yeah, I'm feeling better now, thanks." She turned her gaze back at him when he didn't respond, and saw how serious he looked all of a sudden. She slightly frowned at him and saw that he was staring at her belly. Lars mind wandered from déjà vu to who Sarah really was, and if he had known her before the war, to what she had told him about her losing her husband, who supposedly had been an officer.

"I'm really sorry about your husband; I know how tough it may become for the baby to be fatherless… especially at times like these." His eyes now turned to look at hers, sincere and bright, shining from deep emotions.

"I'm sorry too… but it's okay, I'm going to take real good care of him. He knows that. I don't know how or what the future holds, but I'll find a way. I made a promise." She stroked her belly and smiled at it, embracing her baby in her thoughts.

"No, it's not okay." She looked up and met his eyes, her gaze questioning at his cryptic words.

"I'm sorry?" She said and frowned.

"Being fatherless…" He seemed to be deep in thought, spacing out as he stared at her belly once more. Then it suddenly hit her that he must be relating to the situation himself.

_He's relating to his childhood days; to the pain it caused, growing up without a father… _

_Sweetheart… _

The bitter silence lingered for a minute before Lars decided to speak again, his briefly absent presence back on track again.

"I'm sure the baby's father would've been blessed to have you both. Lucky, to say the least." He smiled bitterly before it disappeared just as quickly as it had come, sighing gently as he cast down his eyes, his right shoulder leaning against the wall.

_Lars… If you only knew; if you would only remember._

"That's very sweet of you to say, thank you," she said and felt nothing but bitter and sad. She cleared her throat and ran her hand through her now messy hair, fighting the urge to tell him everything about her, and that she was carrying his child; her late officer of a husband being none other than him.

"Are you sure you don't want me to call Ryuzaki-sensei? Just to make sure?" He sounded concerned, but not pushy or imposing.

"I appreciate your concern, but I think I'm going to be alright. Really. I probably just need to lie down and rest. I'm beginning to think it might've been the dessert I had at the restaurant." Her pain was indeed subsiding, and she felt happy Lars had been the one to help her back to her room.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, I got a little worried when I saw you in the middle of the hallway like that." A smile followed up by yet another awkward silence between their lustful gazes; hers with a trembling heart, his with a familiar feeling of passion he, yet again, didn't know how to place.

"I… should probably head back," Lars said and broke the silence, watching her as she carefully stood up, her smile so angelic in his eyes.

"Yeah, of course; sorry to have kept you." She said nodding slightly, casting her eyes down before looking back up again.

"Not at all; glad I could help." A respectful nod back from him.

"Thank you so much. You're a life-saver." When she said those particular words, the memory of the night of the tournament kick-off dance briefly flashed in her mind; how Lars had saved her, and her baby, from the ruthless killer in black; of how she wouldn't be here today if it weren't for Lars Alexandersson.

"Anytime," he said and genuinely smiled before turning around to open the door.

"Godnatt—" He stopped in his tracks, utterly surprised at his using of the Swedish language to bid her a good night. He cast down his eyes before quickly turning around to face her, his expression that of a startled nature.

_Did he just say 'Godnatt'?_

He saw how the look on her pretty face was equally surprised, her eyes wide, lips slightly parted.

"I—_goodnight_. Have a good night," he said and smiled yet again as he bowed slightly before leaving, closing the door after him. Sarah remained still, her gaze fixed at the door a few feet away; the door her husband had just walked through.

_He corrected himself; I heard him right, I know I did. He said 'Godnatt' instead of 'Goodnight'. It was on reflex, he wasn't thinking, he was…_

She was now certain his subconscious _must_ have everything stored; his habits, his whereabouts, his memories. He acted upon many of them without being aware; it came naturally.

He had been leading her to her bedroom without being aware he had actually known the way. He had bid her goodnight in Swedish before correcting himself; even if he knew she was Swedish herself and could merely have asked her if she spoke the language. But he had probably been surprised at even saying it to a woman he technically, barely even knew. So he had it stored but had corrected himself nonetheless upon saying it.  
He was living his past life, yet unaware; unaware of who she was, and unaware of why it sometimes came about that he knew more than he perceived on the spur of the moment.

It was progress in a way, she thought, and it warmed her heart a little; maybe he would remember her before she had to tangle herself in a situation of rejecting his offer of going out with him._ If he even asks_, she reminded herself. For the future held no guarantees and she didn't know what to make of his glances from afar; who's to say he was interested?

She sighed as she stroked her belly, resting her head on the couch as she embraced the silence of the room, reminiscing old times unwillingly. She recalled the war and how surreal it had been to wake up one day only to be told the love of her life had been killed and was no longer breathing. How wonderful yet sad it had been to know she was pregnant of a child whose father she was never going to see, touch or love again; that he'd left a part of him behind for her to cherish and hold on to.

She recalled her friends' support and comforting words and visits as she had healed from her coma and confusing state. She thought about Steve Fox, the boxer she had been falling in love with, but had never had the chance to love; the wonderful man her fate had included in her life but decided to keep away from her for someone else. She recalled Jin and how much time he had spent with her, to make sure she got back up on her feet again; after the war, and after their first meeting years ago.

Jin Kazama.

Losing him had been like a full-force whiplash to her soul back in the days; she had realized how much he meant to her too little too late, and before she knew it he was out of her life, leaving her with nothing more than his late mother's necklace around her neck and the bittersweet memories. They had been separated for two years before reuniting again, she in Sweden; he, she found out later, in Australia before flying back to Japan.

Maybe it was her fault, maybe it was his; she never could decide which to believe more, the reasons and past circumstances shrouded with thick clouds ever since she could remember. But she was certain of one thing; she was blessed to still have Jin's friendship, in spite of their history and the part she had played.

Besides Lars, Jin had been the best thing that had ever happened in Sarah's past tragic life. They hadn't been together for as long as people seemed to think, but she had shared the most wonderful moments with him while it lasted.

Jin Kazama had saved her life, when life had meant nothing to her anymore; gently taking her hand as she stood on the edge of the tall building, ready to jump. And when they separated and broke up months later, she never thought she'd ever find love again. Yes, Jin Kazama was one in a million, and he understood her through and through. Her life had crashed down and crumbled to nothing after the break-up, leaving her shattered and homesick.

And so, one day she promised herself never to fall in love again. The circumstances that were left after her break-up with Jin would happen again if she did, she was sure of it, her strokes of bad luck weighing heavily on her shoulders wherever she went. She would end up hurt and lonely again.

And who needed that? Who needed repetitive, heartbroken loneliness? _No one_, she had told herself.

But in spite of all the rules she had put up to follow in her life, in spite of all her struggling efforts, one day her life had suddenly taken a surprising turn; she met Lars Alexandersson, officer of the Zaibatsu Tekken Force and Jin's closest friend.

Unaware that Lars was the one who would forever change her life for the better, she had initially struggled to distract herself from her obvious but hidden genuine love for him, each day surprised at how she was slowly falling for him despite her efforts to stay away. Her rejections had proven to be all in vain; there came a point in her life when she realized he truly was the happiness she had been looking for her whole life and one that would most likely last. Lars had stayed by her side in spite of all her attempts of shutting him out. And that had only strengthened her initially certain perception of him, of who Lars Alexandersson was.

He was her safe haven.

His words often echoed in her mind; how the road that brought them together truly was blessed, and how only by living in the present you got the most out of life. His words were always sincere and genuine. But most of all they always turned out to be true and she had constantly bore witness to it.

He came to be the one to give her a reason to live, just when she had given up hope and wanted to let go. He came to be her everything; her comfort on bitter moments, her sunshine on rainy days, her best friend; the sound of his beating heart always a steady reminder of the safe oasis she had longed for her whole life.

She thought of how she most probably would have ended her life when she had learned of Lars' death, if it hadn't been for the tiny life growing inside of her. The baby they had made changed everything, and its existence made all the difference in the world to her. It gave her strength to move on, to love and accept what was left. But then she was grateful for the second chance; for she knew God had brought Lars back to her, alive and breathing. Lars just needed time to adjust, to put the pieces back together and remember.

It was merely that patience was harder to uphold than people made it seem. Especially when the price you paid for the virtue was loneliness, and the bitter longing to feel loved even as the days went by and nothing changed for the better.

Sarah turned around as she rested her arm on the back of the sofa, looking out the window as she watched the snow fall in the dark of the night. She absent-mindedly smiled at the glittering, fluffy crystals that were illuminated by the lamp posts, resting her head on her arm.

_Funny how you wait your whole life for a single moment, and then one day its tomorrow and you're running out of time._

She felt an unwelcome lump forming in her throat, her eyes getting hot and misty.

_I don't understand the world without you, Lars. You gave me a reason to believe in myself, just when I had given up dreaming. And I still need your guidance; your faith in me._

_If I lose that… I lose my light. __I lose everything._

* * *

Lars awoke in the middle of the night from a strange feeling; he had felt like something was pinching him, or maybe that he was lying on something he had accidentally left on the bed before falling asleep. He hazily figured it might be his cell phone which he had used quite continuously the day before to get his errands done before midnight. He opened his eyes, unsure if the pinching feeling was in his dream or if it was real, and reflexively turned his head to the right as he looked at the digital clock on his bedside table, reading 02:45.

_Almost three in the morning._

He saw it was a full moon this night, and gazed at it for a while, mesmerized by its beauty. When he turned back his head again, and gazed straight ahead, he glimpsed something from the corner of his left eye; something out of proportion in his bedroom. Something next to him, something—

He stared at the stranger sleeping next to him with a frown, surprised and confused at what was going on. It was a woman, curled up next to him in a blue, satin night-gown. Her left hand was grasping his shirt tightly, her breathing very quiet.

_That's the pinching feeling I had…?_

He couldn't see her face, her dark-brown locks covering a part of her face. He slowly turned his weight on his left side, supporting himself with his left elbow. Gently moving the woman's locks away from her face, he saw tears were trailing down her face, soaking the fabric underneath her head. When he noticed who she was, his eyes widened for a brief moment.

_Sarah._

How she even got into his bedroom was beyond him, and he was simply confused. But something about the innocent moment gave him a sense of tranquility; it surprised him she was in his bedroom, next to him in bed, but he didn't move or back away. He didn't shake her by her shoulders to wake her up and question her. He didn't take her tightly grasping hand away from his shirt, even if it hurt a little where her nails were digging into his skin.

She seemed to be in a deep sleep, dreaming of something or someone, her eyes moving left and right behind her closed eyelids. Before he knew it he was reaching to dry her tears away, slowly stroking her cheek in the process. And she smiled, her eyes ceasing their movement.

Lars moved his hand away and placed it on her grasping fingers as he watched her sleep in silence. He felt her tight grasp relaxing upon his touch, and wondered why she was here and when she'd come to lie next to him.

_Who are you, Sarah Alexandersson? Why is it that there's something about you that's… that feels important?_

"When…" her voice slightly startled him from his thoughts, and he tipped his head to the side and watched her lips move.

"And… I miss, I know; you have to-have…" He gently removed her hand from his shirt, placing it on the mattress between them, and just when he decided to turn around to get off the bed he saw one of the two necklaces she wore had started glowing. Staring at it for a while, he distantly reached to touch it, stroking it with his thumb. Just then he saw a brief, tiny bulge on Sarah's belly before it quickly disappeared as he had let go of the glowing necklace. Slightly startled at the baby's kicking, he smiled and turned his gaze back at the necklace; touching it once again, as if mesmerized at how oddly yet beautifully it glowed, he saw the baby kicking again from the corner of his eye.

He noticed how the kicking would stop as soon as he let go of the necklace, the moment so awkward and strange Lars thought for a mere second he was dreaming all of this. He stared at her belly for an entire minute, but the baby wouldn't kick anymore. So he reached to grasp the necklace again, still staring at Sarah's belly to check for movement, and the baby immediately kicked again.

_What is this—_

When Sarah vaguely moaned in her sleep, Lars reflexively let go of her necklace, not wanting to wake her up, and noticed a ring hung on her other necklace. Taking a closer look, he saw how beautiful and expensive it looked. When he stroked a finger along the ring, he felt an indentation on the otherwise smooth surface. Pointing the ring in an angle facing the vague moonlight coming through the window, he saw an inscription was engraved in the ring. The inscription said "_Alltid din, Lars_"[1].

The moment he read the name 'Lars', something tugged at his heart and his head started aching again. He suddenly saw images, as if a film was playing on a screen, covering his eyes; he saw a smile, heard laughter and felt was seemed to be joy.

_"I was going to wait, I know, I haven't told Kazama yet."_

_"Lars, what are you—"_

_"To have someone I can laugh with, share my dreams with—"_

_"Lars—"_

_"Someone I want to live for, to love and embrace"_

Lars' heart started racing and he closed his eyes at the piercing headache, subconsciously trying to make sense of what seemed to be flashbacks suddenly forcing themselves on him.

_"To tell her I love her every single day, hear her wonderful laughter when she awakes," _

_"Lars Alexandersson, stop, I'm shedding tears…"_

_"And see her angelic smile before she goes to sleep,"_

_"You're ruining my make-up,"_

_"Sarah Amber—" _

_"Oh my God…"_

_"Will you do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me?"_

Lars immediately got off the bed and stood up, startled at how the flashbacks kept pouring in, overworking his mind. His heart hammered wildly against his ribcage, his breathing quickening, his eyes wide open as he stared at nothing in particular.

_"Yes I will! I do, I do, I do!"_

_"I love you so much, Lars Alexandersson."_

Lars ran a hand through his messy blond hair, slowly turning around as he did so, looking at the sleeping Sarah. He stared at her for the longest time, not knowing why, not understanding why it was so convenient to relate her with his memories. Not knowing why it felt so right to do so, no matter how strange it seemed.

He looked away and sighed, his headache subsiding as the flashbacks slowly faded. He grabbed his cell phone from the bedside table and speed dialed.

"Yes?"

"Kazama, I ne—"

"_Lars_… Alexandersson, _why_…" Lars spun around at Sarah's interrupting voice, slightly startled upon the mentioning of his name. He was close to answering her, but refrained when he saw she was still asleep, talking in her sleep.

"Alexandersson, what is it?" Jin's voice on the other end of the line was calm but direct, and his tone was demanding at the disturbance of his sleep at the late hour.

"I think you need to come over. As in right away," Lars said, watching Sarah as she slowly turned to sleep on her back.

"Do you realize what time it is?" Jin's tone of voice wasn't that of a snapping one, but rather calm.

"Sarah Alexandersson is in my bed." When Jin didn't answer, it struck Lars that his words had come out wrong, and he immediately rephrased the sentence.

"I woke up, and I found her sleeping next to me. In her night-gown." When Lars heard how Jin gently cleared his throat but said nothing, he rolled his eyes and decided to rephrase his words yet again.

"I walked her back to her room last night, went to bed, _alone_, woke up from a strange pain on my chest and saw her sleeping next to me. I don't know how she got in, and I don't know why she's here. But you had better come down here and take her back to her room or something, before she wakes up and this all gets too awkward and embarrassing," Lars whispered as he walked up to cover her bare legs with a blanket.

"I see."

"'_I see_'? What does that even mean? You really should come down here immediately." Jin didn't reply to that, a silence ensuing.

"_Kazama?_" Lars said with a tone.

"She's been sleepwalking ever since she learned of her husband's death; maybe that's the reason why she's at your place." Jin sounded indifferent somehow. Or was his tone that of an amused manner? Lars couldn't quite tell, but he was certain there was a mischievous grin plastered on Jin's face as Lars was trying his best to explain the situation.

"Okay… but that doesn't explain how she got in here, seeing as how I own the only swipe card to my room, including the pin code. And why my room of all the _unlocked_ rooms?" Lars narrowed his eyes and walked out of the bedroom as he made his way to the mini fridge. He took out a water bottle and placed it on the counter.

"Window?" Jin asked.

"Do I hear an amused tone, _Kazama?_ F.Y.I.[2], this isn't the least bit amusing. So stop grinning, 'cause I can hear you." He took a swig from the water bottle and decided to speak again when Jin remained silent.

"I always keep the window closed." Lars continued.

"Don't know what else to tell you. Maybe you could ask her tomorrow; if she sleepwalked tonight she'll probably not remember a thing in the morning. If she wasn't… then… I guess you'll get your answers one way or the other." Jin knew perfectly well that if Sarah was sleepwalking, she had probably gone there like she had many times before; when they still thought Lars was dead and she missed him too much to stay out of his room. How she had got in Jin was very interested in knowing, seeing as how Lars actually _was_ the only one who had the swipe and pin to his room. If she wasn't sleepwalking, it could mean nothing more than that she missed him too much and couldn't stand being away from him anymore. Even if she knew perfectly well that she wasn't allowed to be that close to him before he regained his memories. But after everything Sarah had been through, Jin understood her carelessness to want to let all of that go and risk everything just to be close to the man she loved.

"Alexandersson?"

"Still here."

"Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Assessing the situation."

"If she can get in, anyone can get in."

"If the door is locked and the window is closed, thus no break-and-enter, I don't see how she could've entered any other way than by your swipe and pin."

"Are you implying something, Kazama? Why would I—"

"_Which_ is impossible, right? 'Cause if she had your swipe card then you couldn't have gotten in yourself to go to bed in the first place." Jin wondered yet again how in the world Sarah had managed to get in.

"If you're implying we went to bed together, you're mistaken. I walked her back to her room, and left her there before walking back to my own. Alone." Jin remained quiet at Lars' bold accusation, which was true per se, and couldn't help but smirk.

"There are guards outside; even if she had come through the window and then closed it behind her they would have stopped her. And she would have awoken me when trying to _break-and-enter_. But all of this doesn't even matter, I'm very sure the window was closed before I went to bed."

"Yeah, well, like I said; ask her tomorrow. Or I could, if you'd like." When Lars didn't reply and went quiet, Jin cut in.

"You're doing it again."

"Are you coming down here, or not?" Lars' tone of voice didn't sound impatient or rude in the least, but Jin knew Lars was getting impatient to some extent, for Jin was deliberately stalling on the matter to amuse himself with the odd situation. And Lars was seeing right through him.

"I'll be right over. Hold the door open so I won't have to knock, in case that'd wake her up."

"Be quick."

As Lars walked up to the door, unlocking it and holding it open for Jin, he hid his hands in his pockets and supported his back against the open door. His mind wandered off to the memory flashes he had had a while ago; to the strange situation he was in with Sarah in his bed, to the strangely glowing necklace with the name _Kazama_ engraved in it, to the ring with the inscription of "_Alltid din, Lars_".

His mind wandered off to the beautiful Sarah Alexandersson.

Or was it Sarah Amber?

--

_Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey._

_It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. _

_What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived. _[3]

* * *

**A/n**: Thanks again for the support and wonderful reviews! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. =)

**Translations and notes**

1 – Alltid din, Lars – _Always yours/Yours forever, Lars_ (first mentioned in chapter seven)

2 – F.Y.I. – _For your information_

3 – quote from the film _Star Trek: Generations_.


	15. Chapter 15

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

* * *

**Chapter 15**

She had been comfortably safe in her husband's arms, embracing him with joy and relief, when suddenly her surroundings had turned black with darkness and she could not see anything. A hand had reached out to harshly grab her by her arms, and when she had turned around she had seen a soldier from the G-corp. Someone grabbing hold of her, pulling her away from Lars with brute force. She had turned around again and seen that Lars had disappeared and she then realized she was on the battlefield during the war; all alone with the enemy. The evil soldier had carried her against her will, had almost hurt her arms in the process, and she had started panicking with fear...

"No, what are you doing?! Let go! Don't! _Don't!_" Sarah struggled to escape Jin's grasp, leaving him bewildered and surprised at her strange reaction; all he had wanted to do was to carry her back to her own room before she woke up. But then suddenly her eyes had shot wide open, taken a quick look around the room and then, upon the sight of Lars Alexandersson, she had struggled to get away from Jin's firm grasp.

"_No!_" Pushing Jin backward with what seemed to be superhuman strength, he staggered back a few steps, wide-eyed and confused as he let her go. Equally confused and surprised at Sarah's reactions, Lars nearly tripped on a box behind him as Sarah jump-hugged him and stayed her embracing arms tightly around his waist.

"_Weep not, for tomorrow is yet to come. Hold fast your faith, for it is your light in the darkest of hours. Worry not, for what lies ahead remains untold. Weep not, for tomorrow is yet to come…_" With tightly closed eyelids and a shaky tone of voice, Sarah whispered the same three sentences over and again as she clung to Lars.

"What in the world is she saying?" Jin eyes shifted to Lars, the vague light, coming from the one small lamp that was lit in the otherwise dark bedroom, revealing Lars' seemingly shocked expression as the Swede held the brunette by her shoulders.

"Alexandersson?" Jin inquired when he noticed the blond spacing out; the latter gazing at the floor.

Gently turning her head so that he would have her face him, Lars cupped her face in his hands and gazed down at her brown eyes until she slowly stopped chanting. Placing a few of her bangs behind her ear and wiping the few tears from her pink cheeks, Lars spoke to her with the gentlest voice.

"Sarah, who told you those words?" Frightened and pale, she attempted to speak in spite of her trembling lips. Her lips parted, but she hesitated for a moment, lowering her gaze before looking him in the eyes again. But before she spoke, she looked around the room again; it was as if she didn't know where she was and why she was standing there with Lars and Jin in the same room.

"Sarah?" Lars called again.

"Your words…" She managed a smile as she put her hands on his', which cupped her face; she felt a sudden comfort in speaking with him.

"When did you hear them?" He knew exactly whose words they were, but upon her uttering of them, he sought to recall if there was ever an occasion where she might've heard them.

But then suddenly she said, "What is Jin doing here? Why are you here Jin?" upon realizing she was standing in Lars' private bedroom. Turning around to look at the Japanese male, she seemed to find it strange for Jin to share hers and Lars' presence in Lars' bedroom. Jin merely gazed at her in silence.

"Sarah, who told you those words?" Lars prompted again, still with a hint of shock in his voice.

"You don't remember? Lilystone Park?" Lars' serious gaze quickly shifted from Sarah to Jin, and then back to Sarah again; he noticed how Jin looked worried all of a sudden.

"We hurried through Lilystone Park in the midst of war, and you stopped to calm my crying." Her questioning gaze prompted him to assure her he hadn't forgotten the specific moment she had just described; Lars, however, simply stared at her.

_Lilystone Park? That park got wiped out in the war. I never even passed it before then…_

"You told me those words so that I would find courage and strength to keep running; to make it to the east bunker, to safety." The memories made her eyes misty.

_I was tired and shocked, ready to give up and claim the battlefield as my refuge. But your words were like a guardian hand touching my heart._

After a moment's silence, Lars said, "Safety? I know these words like the back of my hand. But… no one else should, since I'm sure I have never told anyone." Lars was baffled with confusion at how Sarah knew the exact words and their sequence in that order, when none other than him had ever heard them.

"What are you talking about?" Jin prompted.

_"Mother!" _

_"Erik you must stay here! You will not be safe with me."_

_"Wait, please!"_

_"Weep not, Erik; tomorrow is yet to come! Have faith!"_

_"Don't leave me, mother, please. Stay with me, don't leave me here all alone!"_

Lars had spaced out from the sudden flashbacks from his childhood, and said, "Those were the exact words my mother told me when I was a little boy, back when we were living in Sweden. They are of much cherished value to me, as they were spoken at a point when our lives were in grave danger." Sarah saw how Lars' eyes shone from emotion, and she was mesmerized by his strong, yet questioning gaze.

_"Be brave, darling, hold fast your faith! For it is your light in the darkest of hours."_

_"I'll come with you; I'll do everything you say. Just don't leave me, mother, they will find me!"_

_"Worry not, Erik; have faith. What lies ahead remains untold."_

"I had never met you before or during the war; not until on the night of the announcement of the sixth Iron Fist tournament. I don't remember ever saying those words you mentioned, to anyone Sarah; I don't remember ever taking you through Lilystone Park during the war. I… can't recall ever seeing you during the war." His pale-blue eyes searched hers' for answers, swiftly darting left and right to gaze at her eyes.

"Lars, what are you doing, why are you saying all of this?" She felt uneasy and nervous, confusion eating her from the inside; was this a game?

_But Lars never jokes around like this._

"Sarah, I can't have been there during the war; Lilystone Park was way on the other side of the attack." Lars kept shifting his eyes between Sarah and Jin as he spoke and listened.

"Is this a joke? Jin, tell him—Lars we passed through Lilystone Park, you chose that path to take me to safety! You promised Jin to keep me safe and then return to the front lines. Jin… Jin, what's going on?" She turned to face the Japanese male standing behind her.

_I don't recall you from the war, Sarah…_

Upon her last words, which left Lars baffled with confusion, the Swede saw how Jin immediately walked up to them, gently grabbing Sarah by her arms.

"She's sleepwalking. She's not making any sense." Lars immediately grabbed Jin's arm as to prevent him from taking Sarah away, and heard Sarah's muffled '_what?_' before he spoke.

"_Is she not?_ I want to know what's going on," Lars said with a serious tone of voice, gazing directly at Jin. Sarah tightened her embrace and turned her head around to look back at Jin; Jin raised an eyebrow.

"She's _sleepwalking_, isn't it obvious? She thinks you took her to safety during the war and that I had asked you to, when obviously, as per your own words, you two had never even met back then. I'm taking her back to her room now." As Jin prompted Sarah to let go of Lars, the Swede's grip tightened on Jin's arm.

"No." Lars said firmly.

"Excuse me?" Jin prompted with a tone and briefly spared a glance at Lars' tightly grasping hand on his wrist.

"_You took my hand._" Sarah said with a sad tone and put her hand on Lars' arm; her demanding voice between the two men had Jin and Lars shift their gazes back to her.

"You took my hand, and promised to keep me safe. You led me through Lilystone Park because you told me it would be safer; I even remember it had started raining then… and how the wind had moved the swing when you stopped running to comfort me. The swing was right behind us, the one we used love to sit on and talk for hours..." Her voice faded as the vivid memories of those past moments flooded her mind.

_It had started raining when they had reached Lilystone Park, his hand firmly holding on to hers in the midst of smoke and fire; in the midst of war below the cloudy, grey skies. She had started slowing down, cutting down his speed as she did so, her crying voice seeking a wake-up call from what seemed like a nightmare; from what felt like Doomsday where no refuge on Earth would aid._

_Lars stopped upon her crying, from which the sound pierced his heart to shivers, and the feeling of protectiveness overtook him when he turned around and saw her fragile state. He took her in his arms, holding her as close as he could, one armor-gloved hand shielding the back of her head: he noticed how she tried to hold in her tears, to be brave, but her shaking body in his arms gave away her crying. Looking straight ahead, he saw the rain was getting heavier, the wind picking up its pace as it pulled the orange flames of fire with it in a swirling dance. He heard the guns firing, the loud bangs and shrieks and rapid footsteps, and saw scattered dead bodies and the never-ending robots, followed up by more troops. He saw how the darkness of this day kept spreading relentlessly, and without mercy._

_The Swede looked up to gaze at the sky for a short moment, the love of his life still frightened like a lost child in his arms, ready to give up. Lars nuzzled closer to her ear, caressed her hair and spoke to her with a firm, but gentle voice, "Weep not, for tomorrow is yet to come." He heard her sobbing as she tightened her hold around his waist, her cold body shivering from fear. "Hold fast your faith, Sarah, for it is your light in the darkest of hours." The chains holding up the big swing made loud clanging noises from the strong wind as they hit the iron pillars of support, and the rain lashed in every direction, "Worry not, for what lies ahead remains untold."_

_Sarah Amber Alexandersson had slowly but surely stopped sobbing upon his last words, ultimately relaxing in his steady embrace as she finally managed to control her breathing. His words had felt like a fog lifting from her fragile soul, and for the first time in her life, she sought refuge in God; the one God, Lars had always told her, who was everyone's God, everyone's protector, if one asked for his guidance. _

_She closed her eyes, and repeated Lars' words in her heart, his firm voice repeating itself like a song on replay in her sub consciousness, giving her the courage she never knew she possessed. And she said a prayer and held on to him as tight as she could manage, afraid he would disappear if she didn't cling strong enough._

_Opening her eyes again, she saw how her favorite swing in the park was moving to the strong wind, and recalled all the promises Lars had made her in this very park, and how he had always kept them. He had never made a promise he couldn't keep, and Lars Alexandersson often made Sarah Amber promises; he gave her life such steadfast meaning, she enjoyed it every second, every minute, every hour and every day. But this day made it so much harder; so much more difficult to see the light at the end of the dark tunnel. _

_A shot down robotic machine suddenly flew across them and crashed to the ground with a deafening sound; Sarah's heart skipped a beat and started racing from fear again, and she screamed._

_"I can't-can't _do-this! _I can't-do-this-I… can't!_"_her shaky voice gave way to hyperventilation, and she clung to him tighter than he thought was humanly possible._

_"There's nothing to fear, Sarah; look at me." Lars cupped her face and saw her pale lips trembling, not so much from the cold winds and heavy rain as from the harsh war. He gazed into her chocolate-brown eyes with sincerity._

_"I'm right beside you." Her streaming tears drowned in the falling rain, her body shaking as she put her hand on the protruding emblem on his chest that adorned his armor. _

_"Tomorrow, Sarah; tomorrow is yet to come."_

It was a moment she knew she would never forget. [1]

Jin abruptly cut in, interrupting Sarah's thoughts, "Five minutes ago you were anxious for me to get her out of your room." Jin's worry was now increasing, and he feared what else Sarah might say if she stayed any longer. It was strange, to Jin, how she could sleepwalk this way. Strange to him, how her mind could go back in time and live in those past moments. Jin gave Lars a serious look and the latter noticed how impatient Kazama was getting.

"How is it she knows the words of my mother by heart, spoken to me_ 18_ _years ago_? How is it she can describe the moment she claims took place during the war so vividly, that, in spite of my not recalling it ever taking place, she's shedding tears in frustration at my memory's failing in remembrance of it?" Lars' voice was so firm and straight-forward Jin felt, for a second, as if he was merely a rookie soldier and Alexandersson was his high-ranked, commanding officer; for Jin knew not how to respond to Lars' honest questions.

"Sarah, may I know your full name?" Lars asked firmly as he turned his attention back to Sarah. She backed away half a step and looked up to face him when suddenly Jin cut in.

"That's enough, Alexandersson. Sarah, let's go back to your room so you can rest." Sarah refused to move.

"Sarah Amber Alexandersson," she said, confused at Lars' question and completely ignoring Jin's request.

_Sarah Amber…_

"Is Amber your maiden name?" A moment ago, Lars' heart had started beating fast upon hearing his mother's words from his childhood days, but now it was nearly racing when Sarah spoke her full name. And as he heard her answer to his question, he thought he felt a familiar shiver run up his spine.

Sarah frowned at his question, whilst Jin held his breath with horror at where everything was going; Lars was getting suspicious again, and Sarah's brain was in a strange state where she had no memory of the aftermath of the war; she gladly reminded Lars of their shared memories.

"You know it's my maiden name, Lars, why are you asking me this? You were the one who encouraged me to keep it even though I took your last name when we got married. What's going on, don't you remember?" She placed her hand on his cheek and smiled, but felt a strong arm around her, preventing her from getting any closer to Lars.

Jin turned Sarah around with gentle force and prompted her to walk toward the other door; he glimpsed Lars' shocked expression before turning around to lead Sarah away from her husband.

_Sarah, what have you done…_

Jin hurried to get Sarah out of the room and away from Lars, even though he knew that what had been said couldn't be 'unsaid': he could think of nothing that would make the situation worse than it already was. Lars would surely look into everything Sarah had just said, and demand a fair share of answers.

_Without rest._

Somewhere far away in Lars' mind, the Swede heard Jin and Sarah argue farther away when suddenly he realized they were leaving.

"Wait! Let her go, I want her to stay!" Lars said as he scampered up to the duo by the front door; she was still refusing to leave, and Jin was still trying to calmly tell her she needed the rest in her bed.

"I'm taking her _back_—" Jin began.

"Not until I have spoken with her," Lars interrupted and took Sarah's hand.

"Sarah…" Lars began, his heart racing, "I'm not sure I heard you right; did you just say that we're _married_?" Lars' confusion didn't stop his heart from pounding against his ribcage with haste.

_The ring… the ring I found on that necklace, could it be… could she be?_

"I—" But Jin interrupted her.

"Alexandersson, _back off_." Jin took a step between Lars and Sarah, blocking half of her line of view, as serious as ever.

"Why is it you're so anxious for her to stay away from me all of a sudden?" Lars did not understand Jin's sudden behavior, and his mind was still in a haze from Sarah's words.

Jin spoke with a low voice, in Japanese, telling Lars he shouldn't exploit her state of sleepwalking the way he currently was, motioning with a vague face expression for Lars to 'drop it', to leave it be, and then added, "She needs her rest; she's been through enough for one night. Have you forgotten she is pregnant?" Jin's voice was calm, his face expressionless, but his brown eyes were calculating, alert.

"Sarah, may I talk to you alone, please?" Lars' firm voice caught Sarah's attention immediately, and she walked up to him and smiled in spite of the tension and confusion Jin and Lars had built and tangled in mere moments.

"Of course you may," she said and took his hand in hers as she turned around, standing next to Lars, watching Jin with a slight frown.

"No, out of the question. Sarah… Sarah, please; you need to rest. You can talk to him tomorrow all you like." Jin knew that Lars knew if Sarah went to sleep, she would probably not remember what had been said tonight when she awoke many hours later; with everything that had been said, Lars wasn't going to let her go just yet.

"Excuse me? Are _you_ telling _me_ I can't be near my husband?" Sarah said upon which Lars froze, once again; his eyes wide open as he looked at Jin.

_Husband…? She said it again._

The blond turned his head and looked down, his gaze fixed on Sarah, who seemed to be annoyed with Kazama. It took Lars several seconds to recover from Sarah's words, now focusing on the issue at hand.

"Kazama; would you be so kind as to give us some privacy?" Jin's serious gaze challenged Lars', and the two men stayed that way for a long moment. Breaking the strange silence though, Sarah said, "Jin, I'll be fine. I promise to go to bed soon; Lars will walk me back to the dorms," and faintly smiled at her husband.

Her last words had Lars turn to look at her again, with a frown; "You… don't stay at the dorms…" he said and considered she actually might be sleepwalking after all.

"Of course I do; where else?" she said with an equal frown, and didn't have time for a follow-up question when Jin cut in, "_Sleepwalking._" He reaffirmed Lars with a tone, and sighed inwardly.

Jin didn't know what to do; was he to leave her alone with Lars in this state, where she would tell him one thing after another until she had informed him of her entire history with the Swede before the war? Or was he not to care about how strange and suspicious it would seem to Lars for Jin to take Sarah to her room right now, and that Jin should deal with Lars' questions later? Which was more damaging?

And how serious was it for someone who sleepwalks to be treated in a certain way; should they even be spoken to while in that state? Was it a risk to try to wake them up; was it a risk if you forced them to do something they didn't want to do?

Sarah refused to leave her husband's side. Jin wasn't blaming her for it, given the state she was in, but she wouldn't have said any of the things she said tonight, had she not sleepwalked, and had she been consciously aware that her beloved husband suffered from retrograde memory loss.

The flashing red light and sound coming from Jin's cell phone broke the ice; Lars and Sarah watched as Jin fished it out of his pocket and checked the caller ID. But the phone kept ringing as Jin turned his attention back at Lars and Sarah, eyeing them suspiciously. After a long moment of ringing, Lars said, "Aren't you going to answer that?" and squeezed Sarah's hand lightly; whoever the caller was, he or she seemed pretty persistent as the phone kept ringing over and again.

Sarah noticed Lars' tightening grasp of her hand and looked down at their interlocked fingers; she smiled and hugged his arm.

"Lilystone Park, don't you remember?" Sarah suddenly repeated out of the blue, looking at Lars. Both Lars and Jin exchanged looks before gazing at Sarah, who seemed to have spaced out. She repeated the same question three times over, with seconds of silence in-between. Then Jin decided to take the call, and walked a bit further away even as he pushed the button to receive the call.

Meanwhile, Sarah released her hand from Lars' grip and embraced him, her protruding, pregnant belly gently bumping against him as she did so. She closed her eyes and smiled, feeling a kind of relief. Lars didn't know what to do, but very soon his slight frown disappeared to reveal a smile as he returned the embrace, gently resting his head on her right shoulder.

_Sarah Amber…_

_Sarah Amber Alexandersson._

_Alexandersson… Alexandersson… Alex… _

He slowly closed his eyes upon his confused thoughts, and embraced the strange déjà vu feeling connecting to his heart; he felt the strong flashbacks in her tight embrace, and allowed them to take hold, to paint the story of his past.

_"Weep not, Erik; tomorrow is yet to come! Have faith!"_

_"It's a memory for you to hold on to, should something separate us someday."_

_"Where did you learn how to play the piano, let alone sing like that?"_

_"You know Jin and I were involved in the past! The whole damn world knows by now! Why would you want to open up old wounds like this?"_

_"Do you believe in fate?"_

_"… blessed one; I met you…"_

_"You bottle up your feelings… ultimately destroy you. If you don't want to talk to me… talk to Jin; he's worried sick for you."_

_"It's alright now; you're going to be safe."_

_"… and then I want you back at the front lines!"_

_"Shinpai shinaide… [3]"_

_"See that bright star?"_

_"… watashi ga soko e iki masu![3]"_

_"Happy birthday."_

A sudden semi-loud sound blended with Lars' thoughts and swiftly interrupted the short, six-second mixed flashbacks he had just experienced in his mind; it felt like a long dream of memories, whereas in reality he had just stood there for mere seconds. The Swede's eyelids lifted to reveal his shining blue eyes, and he simply stared at nothing for a several seconds. Realizing he still had Sarah in his arms, he lifted his head and saw her arms were still wrapped around his waist, a smile on her face as she seemed to stare at something to his right. Lars turned his head and spotted Jin standing next to the counter, still on the phone.

After ending the call, Jin walked up to Sarah and Lars and said, "There's a code 9 emergency, I need you to come with me and bring a unit right away," Jin said looking at Lars, sighing inwardly for the umpteenth time at how everything had turned out with Sarah's sleepwalking this night. The phone call was an emergency and Jin didn't have time to stall or figure out a way to take Sarah to her own bed to rest.

_And as far away from Lars as possible._

"All right," Lars said, suddenly alert, and looked at a very confused Sarah, who immediately escaped Lars' embrace. Lars Alexandersson walked up to a chest of drawers and took out a walkie-talkie and then walked back to his bedroom again to quickly change into another outfit; Sarah's eyes anxiously followed him till he disappeared into the other room. When he walked back a minute later to the duo by the door, he put on his shoes and looked at Sarah.

"Looks like I'll have to take a rain check," said Lars to Sarah and smiled at her as he walked after Jin into the hallway outside, taking Sarah's hand as to lead her out the door.

"What's going on? What emergency? Jin-chai?" Her tone of voice was worried, and she gave Jin a look he was all too familiar with, a look she had had many times in the past when she felt insecure. He walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Everything will be fine; we'll walk you back to your room so you can rest, okay?" Sarah nodded reluctantly and gazed back at Lars, who in spite of his serious expression attempted a smile to comfort her.

"This way Sarah, come here," Jin said and led her back to the opposite way she had turned to walk in; she still thought her room was at the dorms in the other building, and kept taking off in a different direction than that of Jin and Lars'.

"The dorms?" She said with a frown and pointed backward with her thumb, in the opposite direction, as she followed Jin yet again; he saw no other solution than to play along and come up with something that wouldn't confuse her further, and said, "You can sleep in Xiao's room tonight, and it's all right. She's staying with a friend in town so she won't mind."

When Jin had made sure Sarah was comfortably lying in her own bed, which he had lied about being Xiaoyu's, he carefully closed the door after him as he stepped out into the hallway; waiting for the automatic-lock feature to give off the usual _beep_ sound, he then turned to face Lars Alexandersson.

"Walk with me, there's something you need to know," Jin said and started pacing ahead, with Lars catching up after a second or two.

"What is it?" Lars asked as he looked straight ahead while striding alongside Jin Kazama.

After many observations, both by Ryuzaki, Jin and Lars' closest friends, and long hours of arguments and discussions about what was best for Lars and how to best jog his memory, Ryuzaki had asked Jin to brief Lars more elaborately on how the Swede's state of amnesia mostly dealt with not recalling events and people closest to him. This was something they had kept from Lars, as Ryuzaki wanted Lars to struggle on his own at first. Kazama was still not allowed to tell Lars specifically what the latter didn't seem to remember, but he was now encouraged to brief him on the real nature of his amnesia and branch off from there. The only thing Lars was allowed to know about Sarah was that she may or may not have been an important person in Lars' life (hence her honest words while she was sleepwalking, but Jin wasn't getting into that specifically).

"The nature of your amnesia," Jin started off, and went quiet to figure out how to best formulate his words.

"What about my amnesia?" Lars couldn't even guess at where Jin was going with this.

"Well… aside from everything you _do_ know from your sessions with Ryuzaki-sensei, there's something else you should know, that might help you jog your memory." Jin stole a glance from Lars as they turned a corner in the deserted, dimly-lit hallway, and noticed how Lars was looking at him with a questioning frown.

"I'm listening," the blond said calmly, and gazed straight ahead, at the double doors farther away.

"I've noticed how you've grown suspicious as to what Sarah might've meant to you before the war. I don't know if you've had any flashbacks and if so of what exactly, since what is said between you and Ryuzaki-sensei is confidential. However, I do suspect you've had some kind of flashback that prompted you to want to get to know Sarah on a more… personal level." Lars listened to Jin and remained quiet for a short while, the only sound echoing through the hallway that of their steps on the red carpet; muffled and soft, yet solid under their weight.

When they stopped by the double-doors, which would lead them to a back door to the changing room for their armor, Jin turned around and faced Lars, one hand on the door handles. Lars in turn faced Jin and looked at him for a while before speaking, "I've had many headaches and strange emotions at times; as it turns out from my sessions with Ryuzaki-sensei, those are flashbacks." Lars went quiet for a moment before continuing.

"When I found Sarah in my bed tonight, lying there so innocent, and I was busy with the confusion of how she could have gotten in, I started having those flashbacks again. I have trouble understanding when it is I'm having flashbacks, as I have trouble putting a name or fact to all the laughter and joy I hear and feel at times. And the words I hear in my mind are sometimes like a voice on mute, yet I can understand what is being said." Lars sighed and looked away from Jin's intent gaze, mentally exhausted from his strange amnesia.

"Are they flashbacks of a friend? A man, a woman? A specific event?" Jin asked with suspicion when suddenly Lars' beeper gave off a sound in the empty, silent hallway. Lars took a quick glance and spoke without taking his gaze off the beeper.

"It's Tougou [2], I'm guessing he's been warned," Lars said and looked back up at Jin's solid gaze, which was still fixed on Lars.

"Have you had flashbacks of someone who reminds you of Sarah?" Jin's bold question prompted a quick answer from Lars, as they had to get moving and gather a unit.

"Not someone who reminds me of her, but rather flashbacks of Sarah herself." Jin stood frozen like ice and didn't say anything, but his solid gaze did not falter as the two men stood staring at each other. Lars' walkie-talkie radio gave off a sound again, and Tougou's voice spoke, slightly muffled.

"Is… Alexandersson could… immediate… unit from base… over." There seemed to be a disturbance as Tougou's words were cut off from time to time.

It almost turned out to be a staring contest, as none of the men would move or speak; in spite of Tougou's attempt of contacting Lars.

"What makes you think you've had flashbacks of Sarah; that you're not confusing her with someone else?" Jin asked calmly.

"A number of reasons, which is all the proof I need." Lars replied, sternly.

"Why haven't you told me this before? And what are those reasons, if I may ask?" Jin grew both suspicious and anxious; how much had Lars remembered without telling Jin about it?

"Because it was only tonight I could confirm to myself that it couldn't be anyone else than her. Which leads me to the fact you have all been _lying_ to me; _including_ Ryuzaki-sensei. And I don't like that in the least." Lars' tone was bold and forward, demanding it was time for Jin to put all the cards on the table.

When Jin attempted to open one of the doors, Lars blocked his hand on the handle and pushed the door closed again, and said, "Why are you doing this? Tell me who Sarah really is; I want to hear it from you Kazama, and you alone. Who is Sarah Amber Alexandersson; why does she have the same last name as I do? Why do I say her name in my dreams and feel her presence in my flashbacks? And then there's the name on the ring. And please don't lie to me; I'm tired of this secrecy." Lars firm and clear voice held a tone of disappointment and slight frustration as his sharp blue eyes scanned Jin's brown ones with determination.

"This '_secrecy_' is for your own good; we can't force your memories on you when you can't even recall them yourself. I think this is pretty logical given the state of your amnesia. And what _about_ the ring? It could be any other Lars in the _world_ whose name adorns it. And why is it weird her last name is Alexandersson? I've told you she's Swedish; it wouldn't be strange for her to bear that name." Jin quickly checked his cell phone again.

"I wasn't talking about _Sarah's_ ring," said Lars calmly, and revealed a ring hung on his necklace from under his shirt. Lars held the ring out to Jin as far as the length of the necklace allowed and said, "She's not the only one with an engraved ring around her neck. _Look at it_; read the inscription." The Swede prompted Jin to hold the ring and look at the engraved words, which the latter did, with slight shock. Lars noticed the change in Jin's expression; it was vague, but he saw it.

_Where in the world did Lars find this ring? I searched everywhere for it._

The ring's inscription said "_Alltid din, Sarah Amber_" [4], much in similarity to the inscription on Sarah's ring, which she received from Lars when they had gotten married. But that similarity wasn't what actually revealed how Lars and Sarah were connected; not so much as the fact Jin already knew that that was the ring Sarah had given Lars when they had gotten married. Sarah had shown him photos and told him about the two special rings on several occasions.

"And her last name isn't her own name; she told me it was her, supposedly, late husband's name, who so happened to have been, as per Sarah's own words, an _officer_ in the Zaibatsu Force. There has been _no_ officer, _or _soldier, in the history of the Zaibatsu by the name of Alexandersson; I checked. I remember. _No one_. Except me." It seemed Lars wasn't moving to address the emergency at hand before he received some answers from Jin Kazama.

"Look… it doesn't matter what you suspect, or assume; if you can't recall major, important events from the past, there isn't much we can do; we can't just simply fill in the blanks, I'm sorry. That way you have a bigger chance of actually regaining your own memories. This needs to happen step by step; you need to be in familiar environments and with people close to you and friends and family, to help jog your memory. But we can't tell you _who_ those people are that you're surrounded by. If you're having flashbacks and you're somehow starting to regain your memory, you need to record it and take it up with Ryuzaki-sensei. Because the more you talk about what you remember, the more those fragments will jog your memory to, hopefully full, recovery." Jin saw how barely half of what he had just said to Lars had registered; Lars seemed impatient and mentally exhausted, which to Jin was understandable.

"Damnit, Kazama! Don't go all Ryuzaki on me! Yes, she appeared to be sleepwalking just now, but it doesn't explain her knowing the exact words my mother told me when I was a child! And it doesn't explain the fact she said, with her own words, that we're married; why would she say such a thing, if I'm supposedly a stranger to her?" Jin attempted to open the door again, ignoring the Swede's speculations, but this time Lars slammed it with brute force of one hand as he inched closer to Jin. The Swede spoke with a low, firm voice, his gaze that of a lion's to its prey.

"Is Sarah Alexandersson pregnant with my child?"

-------

_When I am with you, I can genuinely smile._

_When I am with you, chaos is order._

_When I am with you, everything makes sense._

* * *

**A/n**: Sorry for the late update dear readers, I hope you're still in pace with this story! ^__^ But as I have mentioned in earlier chapters; even if I don't update in a long time, I'll still update sooner or later. It's just that I have to prioritize my studies and my life in general, as you may understand.

Thank you so much for the reviews from last time! I'm happy you're still reading this story, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter and how the story has progressed thus far! Let me in on your thoughts, please! ^__^

Till next time!

**Translations and notes**

1 – This entire section of flashbacks that Sarah is having from the war is supposed to have taken place before Lars took her through the buildings (before he clears the area twice and tells Sarah to run from the approaching enemies/robots; ref. chapter 6)

2 – Tougou is an actual character in Tekken 6, appearing in Scenario Campaign mode; he's Lars' lieutenant and good friend.

**Translation – Japanese to English**

3 - _Shinpai shinaide; watashi ga soko e iki masu_ – Don't worry; I'll meet you there (ref. chapter 6)

**Translation – Swedish to English**

4 – _Alltid din, Sarah Amber _– Forever yours, Sarah Amber


	16. Chapter 16

**FALLING INTO LOVE**

_By: T-Drift_

**A/n**: I know, it's been a while! I hope you haven't given up on this story, 'cause I sure haven't! I've been very busy with my uni studies. But here I managed to write another chapter, and I hope it will have been worth the wait (albeit shorter than earlier chapters).

* * *

**Chapter 16**

_May 13th,_

_Yesterday, I saw him again. You know, Lars Alexandersson. And I got the wildest butterflies in my stomach! He was instructing soldiers (there were multiple rows) for some mission and I had been watching them for at least ten minutes. Right then I got a message from Xiao on my cell phone. _

_When I had checked the message I looked back up only to see the soldiers were gone; instead he was standing there alone, looking at me from a distance. It was embarrassing for some reason! He was probably wondering what a civilian was doing at the military base. I looked away and saw that the soldiers were running laps in the distance, yet still felt his strong gaze on me. Not knowing how to control my nervousness, I faked a phone call and started talking into my phone as I walked away from there. _

_He looks really good in that red, military outfit._

_May 20th,_

_I bumped into him at the café earlier today, and spilled my hot tea all over his shirt. I was so frightened with shock of the fact it was him in specific I had stained the shirt of, I just stood there looking at it and did or said nothing. When he finally spoke and broke the awkward silence, he asked me if I was alright. It couldn't get any more embarrassing, and I didn't know what to say! I mean, it was a perfectly normal question, but I stood there in shock. And I didn't even apologize! In my mind I know I tried, but no words dared come out; it was like my shock had sealed my lips. When I didn't answer him he just smiled and said "don't worry about the shirt" and walked away toward the men's restrooms._

_As if that wasn't enough to make my day any worse; I turn around to leave after standing there like an idiot for a full two minutes, and I see Hwoarang and the guys trying to suppress their laughter at the awkward scene (except for Steve, I remember seeing him merely smiling), and then Hwoarang goes "Good job, Amber! Harassing officers now?" Always the bully. _

_So I just hurried out of the café and went straight to Jin's office to rant. Like I always do, I swiftly knocked twice and entered immediately, without receiving any permission to. _

_Big mistake. _

_I walked in on him and Xiao making out on the sofa. The last image I saw before I slammed the door shut with embarrassing force was Jin's gaze meeting mine, and a half-dressed Xiao turning around in the last second to see what was going on at the door._

_I can't believe seeing him with another woman still gets to me. What makes it worse is that the woman is my best friend… _

_To my surprise, as I stood in my bathroom to get ready for bed, I burst out in tears as I was reaching for my toothbrush._

_Sometimes I'm so sad I actually consider telling Xiao that Jin and I used to be in a serious relationship; that he'll never love her the way he loved me. Just to make myself feel better temporarily. Then I realize how jealous I really am. How I'm still holding on to memories; memories of unsorted feelings, and a heart that yearns for closure. Because Jin and I never fell out of love; we had what any couple would only dream of having. I'd give it all to have him back in my life the way it used to be. Being friends is sometimes not enough. Not after what we had in the past. It's not enough. _

_It's not._

_June 14th,_

_Today as I was sitting in the bar next to the counter, Lars takes a seat next to me and starts speaking Swedish! My heart was racing so fast I think it actually went up my throat and down again. He told me not to turn around and to listen carefully to what he was about to tell me. He kept talking in Swedish! I was so absorbed by him being so fluent in Swedish I only listened to what he was saying with half an ear. But I heard enough to understand it was a serious situation; apparently someone had been paid to kill me! Or so they suspected. So I did what he said and went to the dorms to meet with Jin. _

_Lars had been right; there was a man clad in black that followed every twist and turn I took in the empty hallways, and as I heard his footsteps shorten the intervals my heart started racing, and I ran. And he started running too! I was so scared I started running faster than I ever thought I was capable of. As I come rushing in to my dark room (the door was open ajar) I turn around and see Jin standing at the side, and two very tall soldiers at the sides of the door. As the killer comes rushing in after me, the soldiers take him down. _

_Now I can't stop feeling paranoid; that someone is going to jump out from nowhere and attack me. So I've snuck into Jin's office to sleep on his sofa. Because I know he's sleeping in the other room, and that makes me feel safe. I wish I had the courage to walk into his room and just cuddle next to him. The way I used to back in the days. But I couldn't do that to Xiao, or to what she and Jin now have…_

_June 18th,_

_Today Jin asked me a question I honestly wasn't prepared to deal with. He actually asked me if I was attracted to Alexandersson. Where'd he get that impression from? I certainly never told him about my feelings toward Lars. Nor have I told my girl friends. I haven't told anyone! And I've been very careful not to look at Lars when someone else I know is around. He told me he's seen how different I am when Lars is around; how I choose my words more carefully, and how cold I am toward the Swede because that's how I seem to handle my nervousness these days._

_How does Jin come to these conclusions just by observing me at what little time I get to spend with him? (Also, it's usually by pure coincidence Lars is there as well, sometimes)._

_I miss Jin. The Jin I could call mine and no one could say otherwise. I miss the way he used to spend time with me every single day. No matter how busy he was. I miss how he took the time to listen to the burdens of my heart. And how good he felt when he had lightened his own burdens off his shoulders. I should have stayed no matter what. I should have never left him when he needed me the most. I hate myself for leaving. I don't understand how I could have left him, even as he was begging me to stay so we could try to work it out. _

_He actually had faith in us. _

_He had faith, and I destroyed it._

_July 1st,_

_Steve and I almost kissed today! And it's the third time since we first met. But I didn't know what to do; I panicked so I turned around in the last second and left us with an awkward silence. It was like I felt I wasn't prepared to take it further yet, even if it was just a kiss. My feelings are so mixed up and confusing. I like Steve, a lot. We've been spending so much time together, and he's so great. But I can't ignore what I've been feeling toward Lars. I've tried, so many times. God knows I've tried so hard. I can't stop thinking about him. It's so strange. I barely know Lars in spite of the times we've spoken, yet there's something about him that makes me nervous everytime he's around. Something that makes me think about him 24/7. Something that gives me the feeling of butterflies in my stomach just from hearing his voice. They say that's love… but it's even stranger I'm having these feelings considering how things have been since our first, albeit rude, meeting. _

_Is it possible to be in love with (or have a crush on) more than one person at the same time? _

_I'd like to get to know Lars Alexandersson._

_Steve and Asuka are spending more and more time together though... I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to move on. I've rejected him indirectly so many times now. It's my fault. But it hurts. It hurts that I'm so emotionally messed up to know what love is anymore. _

_July 12th,_

_I don't need love! __I don't need it! I don't need this! I never asked for this._

_August 1st,_

_Jin and Xiaoyu got engaged today. I'm happy for them. Really I am… But that happiness was short-lived; I hurried back in the middle of the ceremony and locked myself up in the big tool shed by the garden, and cried until my eyes started to swell._

_August 11th,_

_I don't understand; if Jin loves her so much, why does he still smile at me the way he used to when we were together? Why does he still make sure I'm alright almost every night before I go to bed and kiss me goodnight? Or let me come and go as I please to his office or the den or wherever? Why is he overprotective when another guy wants to get to know me? He does these little things that make me feel like he still wants to be with me, yet… he's choosing to marry another woman. He does these little things yet with appropriate distance, and it's driving me crazy. Or maybe it's just me imagining things, making everything out to be more than they really are._

_Maybe I should just leave and never turn back… I'll never find someone like Jin. He's one in a billion._

_December 11th,_

_Lars and I had a snowball fight today! I haven't had so much fun in my life. Ever. I was laughing so hard it was mostly me getting hit by them. One of the funnier parts was Jin and the others joining in, but then suddenly everyone was targeting me!_

_I love my friends so much. At the end Lars came to be on my side and we completely took over and won. I love the way he laughs. So much. _

_After the fun fight everybody warmed up by the cosy fire; later Lars and I spent time together at his place. I love him so much, more than anything I've ever known._

_January 11th,_

_I'm trying to be strong. If not for our baby. But your shadow still lingers wherever I go. And it's hard to breathe, knowing I will never see you again. Knowing, I'm never going to experience what could have been._

_February 18th,_

_Sometimes, I feel you walking beside me._

_I hear your voice in the wind._

_But when I turn around the feeling is gone._

_February 23rd,_

_I'm scared. I can't do this anymore. I don't want to, not without you. I can't do this without you, Lars. The world is so frightening without you. Everything's so frightening._

Lars closed the notebook and sighed bitterly. He had found it when he was well enough to go back from the infirmary to stay at his own place at the base; the notebook had been sticking out from under his armchair. He could tell from the entries it was a girl's diary. The more he read, the more he felt certain whom it might belong to. The fact that this person's close friends were mentioned by name, and their relationships, pretty much gave her away; even the handwriting looked familiar. And if he was right about the owner of the diary, there was much to investigate in the department of his memories. For apparently this girl has or had feelings for him; he had read several entries that mentioned him by name in different scenarios. And then there was the fact that the diary was found at his place, which had been sealed off when he was held captive. And he could only think of one person who, strangely enough, had access to his place.

Lars was intent on finishing the diary before deciding upon an action. He put it away for now, and left his room to clear his thoughts from the conversation he had had with Jin Kazama the day before, and the overwhelming feelings he had received upon a surprising discovery at the infirmary earlier this evening.

Taking the many stairs to the empty roof of the building, where he usually liked to go to clear his thoughts, he walked up to the railing and supported his arms on it. It was a still and starry night, the temperature not really calling for another layer of cloth from the cold in spite of the occasional breezy winds. Lars sighed, and looked down at the city below; a city still awake at this late hour.

_"Is Sarah Alexandersson pregnant with my child?"_

_"Yes. You're the father of that child and she's your wife."_

_"What?"_

_"Well isn't that what you want to hear?"_

_"What I want is the truth!"_

They had had quite a heated, but short conversation because of the emergency at hand, and it had affected Lars' judgment on several occasions during their mission. He had gone to see Ryuzaki earlier today, just as Jin had asked him to do last night; reaching the infirmary, Ryuzaki had led him to take a seat in her office, when she had apologized for having to leave only to be back in a couple of minutes. He had decided to stay and wait for her to come back, and as his thoughts swirled in his head, about how and what he was going to ask Ryuzaki, a blinking red light had caught his attention on the table infront of him. He saw it was for an incoming call, and so had left it alone. However, just as he was about to walk back to his seat his name on a sheet of paper next to the phone had made him stop in his tracks; since he was had nothing better to do whilst waiting, he had picked up the stack of papers and skimmed through the contents.

And his heart had skipped a beat.

According to the documents, an officer by the name of Alexandersson Lars was recorded to be the father of the baby who Sarah Alexandersson was bearing. There had been a picture of Sarah next to the information. He had frozen like ice when he had read one of the documents' thorough and detailed information on the father of the baby; the picture of the officer on the second page was of none other than himself. Lars had merely stared in shock and semi-disbelief. Two of the documents were copies of a marriage license; _his_ marriage to Sarah Amber, later Sarah Amber Alexandersson. The gender of the baby was documented to be a boy. A name had recently been decided by the mother; Erik.

Erik Alexandersson.

_My middle name…_

Lars had immediately felt sick to his stomach with overwhelming feelings. It had been too much to take it all in at once, and he had run to the restroom to throw up.

Forgetting all about Ryuzaki he had walked back to his place, his mind distant. Taking a shower and brushing his teeth to prepare for bed had not helped ease his nerves. And he had had trouble falling asleep. So he had proceeded to browse the only book on his table as he sat on the armchair, when he had noticed it was the diary he had found in his room weeks ago. He had read a few entries, before deciding to get some fresh air at his favorite place. And so, here he was hours later, not knowing what to do with what he had learned.

The Swede looked up at the billions of stars, his arms still supporting his weight on the railings.

He still couldn't believe it. Couldn't digest the information. Couldn't take it in. Maybe because it was strange and new to him; he had no recollection of ever marrying someone, except for his strange, interruptive flashbacks hence suspicions; that and, let alone made a baby with. Wouldn't he remember such important events? Regardless of the severe torture he endured held captive, and the memory loss he now had to deal with; wouldn't he remember?

Nothing made sense in his head, yet everything made sense in his heart; it was like two forces battling each other to win the other one over. In spite of it feeling right and genuine, in his mind he didn't know what to make of it.

_I have a wife and an unborn son._

What he had learned made his heart race from confusion, and it brought back memories of the torture he endured held captive. Lars sighed inwardly, and closed his eyes.

* * *

Sarah dried her tears and looked up to gaze at the many stars lighting up the dark sky. She had just had an unpleasant conversation with Ryuzaki and Jin concerning Lars, and decided to leave for the roof to be alone. She knew what the doctor was doing for Lars was for his own good, and she wanted nothing more than for her husband to regain his memory. But so much time had passed, and she would have the baby anytime now; Lars still wasn't remembering, except for, according to Jin, the occasional flashbacks and it was driving her insane. She lost count of how many times she was that close to just walk up to Lars and tell him everything. She wanted her husband back; the father of her baby and her best friend. It was like it was too much to ask to just be with your loved one, when they were right there.

Her eyes scanned the stars and their patterns as she tried to sort out her thoughts, but they were interrupted when finally she found the location of the star which Lars had bought her for her birthday.

_The beautiful diamond among pearls. _

In the corner of her eye she saw a light moving to her left, and turned around only to just about witness a falling star in the distance, as it quickly disappeared in the dark sky. Gently rubbing her eyes to rid them from the unshed tears that blurred her vision, she smiled bitterly.

She said a little prayer in her heart and stroked her belly, then turned around to leave when suddenly she stopped in her tracks. She froze with one hand on the railing, her heart beating faster.

Sarah dared turn around to look behind her again, and saw someone standing by the railings a some distance away, looking down at the city below. Apart from a few lanterns that were lit in corners on the roof, the place was pretty dark and you barely, only saw figures and vague colors from a distance. She blinked a few times and stood there staring, trying to make out who it could be.

The tall stranger seemed lonely and depressed, and Sarah realized that was precisely the way she felt this very moment. So she held her breath and slowly walked a few steps toward the stranger, nervous yet brave as she ignored her trembling heart.

Then she accidentally kicked a rock as she was taking another step, and as it hit the low wall next to the railing the stranger immediately turned toward the interruptive sound and set his eyes on her. Sarah cringed at her clumsiness.

But when her gaze rested upon his', her eyes briefly widened when she recognized who it was. And she saw his' do the same as he slowly straightened his leaning posture. Amidst the gentle winds kissing their hair, the lanterns burned brightly in the dark corners of the rooftop as they cast still shadows across the short distance between them. Her heart was racing, but she ignored her trembling hands and blushing cheeks as she spoke.

"Lars…" She managed to utter as she held the sides of her knee-length skirt from moving up with the sudden, playful winds.

He further turned around to face her, his left hand still on the railing. But he said nothing, and merely stared at her for the longest time.

However, just as the long silence was getting awkward on Sarah's part, she saw him briefly shift his sharp gaze to her belly and then back to her eyes again. He looked so serious, and almost frightened, that Sarah felt like she was trespassing; boldly violating his personal space at this late hour.

"I… I'm sorry, I was just leaving." She quickly turned around to leave the rooftop, when his strong hand caught hers from behind and stopped her from leaving.

"Sarah…, don't go." Bitter tears made themselves down her blushing cheeks and she dared not turn around or make a sound; her cold hand still in his warm, strong one. Then, without warning, his strong arms slowly embraced her from behind, his cheek brushing against the side of her neck as he did so.

And she realized how much she missed his touch.

His warmth.

That familiar sense of security.

She closed her eyes, trying to calm down her breathing, but her bitter-sweet knife of feelings boldly cut her heart through and through. And she cried, openly, but silently as she dared hold on to his embracing arms. She cried, not merely for everything that had been happening; not merely for missing him like no tomorrow since the war. She cried for other reasons too, and one of them had occupied her mind since she had been at the military base earlier, visiting Tougou. [1]

_"He's being transferred to one of our bases in Scandinavia."_

_"What did you just say?"_

_"I just came back from the meeting, the decision is final; Kazama is transferring him. If you ask me Sarah, that's our best choice at this stage. Alexandersson is the best soldier and officer we've got. He can lead, and he's fluent in Swedish."_

_"Tougou, please-"_

_"I'm sorry, Sarah."_

The argument she had had with Jin following that conversation had been very unpleasant; Jin had refused to rethink his decision. She had realized she had never been so angry in her life. She had never been that sad, had never felt so hopeless; once again Lars was going far away from her for a long time. She needed him here in Japan, she needed him close to her, she needed him to remember; Lars had to be here when she gave birth, when she raised their son, Erik.

But he wasn't going to be. And it was all Jin's making.

_"This is what you have to deal with for marrying a soldier, Sarah!"_ Jin had earnestly told her amidst her screaming and crying with frustration as they argued._"This is what you get!" _It was a blow to her already fragile consciousness; she never saw it that way.

Feeling her shaking body against his, hearing her interruptive gasps for air in-between her crying, Lars gently turned her around. He put a hand to her cheek and stroked it as he watched her tears roll down her porcelain cheeks; her trembling lips parting as she gasped for air, her sad eyes lowered.

She put a hand to where his heart was, but dared not meet his blue eyes. To her surprise, his heart was beating faster than normal, and this made her look up on reflex to meet his eyes.

And that's when he leaned down, and kissed her.

To his subconscious surprise, she slowly responded in spite of her crying; their gentle kisses soon turning passionate as she longed for more. Her tired mind went into confusing hiatus as Lars pulled her in closer, and every single memory she had ever made with him came rushing back, painting her their past on a white canvas, exciting her even as they kissed.

And through it all, when tears and heart-ache were all she had lived with since the war, she did not care what the consequences would be of her current actions. She didn't care that she was possibly ruining his chances of remembering her. She didn't care she was told to avoid getting too close to him. She didn't care she was crossing the line and making new memories. All she knew was that she was falling in love again so hard that she could barely breathe; and how good and right this moment felt. All she could feel was her sad heart and the bitter truth of his having to leave Japan too soon. Having to leave Japan at all.

So she embraced her racing heart. She embraced her crying soul, and their closeness. And as their kiss deepened, the sudden clouds in the sky broke out the pouring rain, though startling neither of them. For a moment, she felt like she was in space, floating amidst the stars.

However, too soon her mind refused not to lay out the truth of the situation; that no matter how much she wished otherwise, she was still a stranger in the eyes of Lars Alexandersson. He had no memory of who she was after all this time; he had no clue that she carried his child, and he was probably never going to remember her. The cutting thoughts intensified her crying so much that Lars gently broke off their kiss, and held her tightly in his arms as he closed his eyes.

The heavy rain masked her crying, but her shaking body in his arms still reminded him of how sad she was inside. What he had learned about her earlier this evening, and through his flashbacks and the words she uttered during her sleepwalking; from every entry he had read about her feelings in her diary to every tear he had seen roll down her cheeks since the attack on her baby, he understood the pain.

He understood how painful it was to keep everything a secret; how near to impossible it must be to pretend everything was okay, to stay strong every single day, when in fact her life was everything but okay. When her husband, the father of their unborn child, passed her by everyday yet she was forbidden to get close to him. Forbidden to tell him who she was and what they had. Forbidden to help him put the missing pieces of his memories back together.

It only felt right she was his significant other. It only felt right she was his wife, his other half, his soul mate. And it never felt more genuine the child was his. He felt it deep inside, and it squeezed his heart as he slowly backed away from their embrace. He then put his hands on her pregnant belly and got down on his knees infront of her, a tear finding its way down his cheek. And he gently kissed it.

Sarah stared at him with surprise and confusion, sobbing sharply as the rain poured heavier. When she saw him put his forehead to her belly, she gently stroked his blond hair and kissed his head.

Lars grabbed her hands and stood up, and that's when she clearly saw his tears in spite of the pouring rain; he didn't bother hiding them. And it triggered her crying again as she embraced him; holding on to him as tight as she had during the war, when hopelessness had taken hold of her and he had held her in the pouring rain, shielding her from the darkness creeping up in her heart.

"It's okay," he said, stroking the back of her head.

"Don't go..." She mumbled against his chest in-between her crying.

"I'm right here." Lars held her tighter, distantly feeling the heavy rain.

"Scandinavia... don't go. _Please._" Sarah said as she rubbed his back. The Swede was surprised by her knowing about his transfer, and backed away as he cupped her face, looking straight into her brown eyes.

After a while he said, "Everything's going to be okay, Sarah," with a rather serious, yet gentle tone.

"Have faith."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_I could say everything's alright._

_I could pretend, I could smile._

_But when you walk away, you won't know_

_I was lying, I'll be crying;_

_You're leaving._

* * *

**A/n**: Thank you for the wonderful reviews! They support me more than you know! Hopefully you won't have to wait as long for the next chapter, but I can't promise anything. I'll do my best, though! Take care~

[1] - Tougou is an actual character in Tekken 6, appearing in Scenario Campaign mode; he's Lars' lieutenant and good friend.


	17. Chapter 17

**Falling Into Love**

_By: T-Drift_

**A/n:** It's been way too long and I am so, so sorry for leaving the story unfinished and not staying in touch. A lot has happened in my life thus far, and writing wasn't at the top of my list of priorities. Here's hoping some of you are still interested, and that I can finally finish this story soon. Hope you like this chapter, and again, I am very sorry for the huge, unexplained delay.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 17**

Sarah ran as fast as her legs could carry her, one hand reflexively on her belly, footsteps echoing loudly in the empty hallways. It was barely dawn, the dark city still in quiet slumber, its people sleeping soundly.

Except for Kazama's military base.

The base was filled with soldiers, lined up in several rows, still as trees; a jet could be seen in the distance and two helicopters that were flying about in the area, lights flashing everywhere. Sarah had woken up for some reason, and had gotten up to get a glass of water, when she saw light flickering into her room from outside, and the faint sound of helicopters. When she looked out she saw the rows of soldiers and the helicopter beams lighting up the ground. Then her eyes settled on the jet in the distance. She also saw a figure walking past the rows of soldiers and heading in the direction of the jet, but she couldn't make out if it was Lars or someone else.

She panicked.

_Please don't let that be Lars._

The fear and paranoia that engulfed her at that moment was almost overbearing, but not because of what she was seeing per se; she was afraid Lars was leaving without saying goodbye. She feared he was going away to Scandinavia indefinitely in the early hours of the morning, not wanting to wake her up for whatever reason.

_He wouldn't leave me like this... he wouldn't leave without saying goodbye!_

_It can't be today. I need to see him... _

She had not even put her shoes on as she had hurried out of her room, her hair messy and robe half open, cursing the fact that the hallways were this long and the time it took her to reach Lars'. Even as the hallway got closer to where the military base was located, she could hear the jet firing up, and her anxiousness multiplied tenfold.

_I need to make it in time! No, screw that noise, I'll go straight to the jet!_

When she finally left the building and reached the military base, she began running much faster than she had inside, almost out of breath and nearly choking for air. She hurried through the rows of soldiers, heads turning as the soldiers watched a panicked looking woman, bare feet and in her robe, dashing toward the jet.

Sarah started shouting for them to stop and wait as her bare feet hit cold asphalt one step after another, her throat already aching more than she could soon handle. The air was so cold there were puffs of fog coming out everytime she spoke or exhaled; it was nearing winter, and while she hadn't thought twice about rushing out in case Lars was leaving, in hind sight she wished she had at least put a jacket on.

"Wait, please! I-" she couldn't finish her sentence; before she knew it she had tripped and was elbows down on the ground, knees scraped. She gasped as tears welled up in her big brown eyes. Looking up with a blurry vision she saw that the tall person walking toward the jet had stopped in his tracks, only to look back at the shouting noise behind him. He quickly ran up to her and tried to help her up. She let him, her voice shaking as she tried to find the right words to say, even as she stood up to have a good look at who he was.

"I-I need to-that jet-you-who are you?" she said and turned to look at the stranger she had been following since she woke up.

"Sarah? God, are you alright? What are you doing out here at this hour like this?" A familiar voice reached her ears and she rubbed her eyes quickly with her free hand. Looking at him closely she could see that it was Tougou.

"Tougou! Oh my God, Tougou-san where is he? Is he in the jet? Please, I need to see him before you go! Please, take me there!" She said and put her hand on his shoulder while steadying herself on him with the other. Her voice was frantic and he could clearly see she was panicking about something.

"See who, Sarah? What are you talking about?" A frown formed on his forehead and he felt clueless. He began to worry and he could see she was not in the mood to argue or be patient.

"I'll go! I'll just-excuse me," she uttered and started making her way toward the jet when Tougou gently caught her hand just in time and stopped her. She quickly eyed his hand and then him.

"Sarah, please, you're not making any sense. Who do you think is in the jet? This is just-" He was immediately interrupted by her loud, snapping voice.

"Lars! Is he leaving? Is Lars leaving me without saying goodbye? I need to see him, please don't stop me." Her eyes darted left and right as if she stared at Tougou for permission, looking genuinely frightened.

"No, no, no Sarah, calm down, okay? Just calm down. Lars isn't even on duty today. That jet isn't for him." He said and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"It's freezing out here, come on let me walk you back inside." Tougou relaxed a little when he finally understood her sudden appearence on the military base; the base was no place for civilians, and Sarah was no exception in spite of her being spoilt by Lars at times. She must have thought they were leaving for Scandinavia, and he didn't blame her much, but he knew Lars was not the kind of guy to leave his wife and go overseas and not say anything.

"What? Where is Lars? No I thought-I was afraid-" She stuttered but stopped mid-sentence and suddenly screamed in pain as she got down to her knees and hugged her belly.

"Sarah are you alright?!" Tougou quickly knelt down and put an arm around her, prompting her to stand up if she could. She winced in pain and her breathing was nearly irregular.

"I can walk, I can, just need a couple of seconds... just a couple." Her hands were palm down on the ground, her bare knees starting to hurt a little being pressed firmly against the asphalt.

"Where is Lars?" She quickly asked and looked up at Tougou, who was still kneeling to her right.

"Sleeping still, I assume? It's only 4 in the a.m. Have you checked his place?" She mentally slapped herself for panicking so much considering the situation, but then justified it with not being able to take the risk if it had been Lars leaving after all.

Sarah carefully stood up with Tougou's help, tripping forward as she did so, but was steadied in place by the lieutenant.

"Easy there, you're okay," Tougou said and smiled at her. The whole situation was quite adorable and he could see how nervous she still was, doing her best to calm down.

"Sassy! Hey girl! My God, what are you doing out here like that?!" Out of nowhere, Jin and Xiaoyu came walking toward Sarah from the jet; Xiaoyu jumped at the sight of Sarah and ran up to her, leaving Jin to walk up to them in his own pace.

"It's freezing! You're wearing nothing! What's going on here?" The Chinese girl's relentless questions made Sarah's thought process go blank and she just stared at Xiaoyu for a while. Xiaoyu shot both Sarah and Tougou looks of worry, demanding an explanation. Sarah turned to look in Jin's direction, her gaze locking with his as he walked up to them. She thought his gaze looked a bit cold and indifferent.

"She's okay, it was just a big misunderstanding. I was just about to walk her back." Tougou greeted Jin when the latter reached the trio, and Jin nodded back equally.

"What are you doing on the base, you're not allowed to be here," Jin said indifferently, but knowing Jin, Sarah could tell there was an indirect tone hidden in there; he seemed to be giving her the cold shoulder yet again, the way he had for the past couple of weeks.

"I was... I thought-I mean I saw this and the jet and I thought... but it's over now, it was a misunderstanding, just like Tougou said, so..." She looked down on the ground as she trailed off, not daring to meet Jin's cold eyes as he watched her every move.

"You need to head back or get off the base." Xiaoyu was a little taken aback by Jin's sudden cold behaviour; a minute ago he was cheerfully chatting away with her in the jet.

"Babe, I'm sure there was a good reason for-" Xiaoyu was rudely interrupted by her fiance which resulted in everybody looking at Kazama with a frown.

"_Now._" Jin decided that was all he was going to say, and started walking off, grabbing Xiaoyu's hand as he did so.

Sarah just stood there frozen, not understanding why he wouldn't stop giving her the cold treatment, seemingly out of the blue at times. But then she thought twice, and she knew it had been very awkward and tense between them since she lost the baby, as well as when Jin decided to send Lars to Scandinavia for a while; Sarah and Jin had had many arguments and fights about sending Lars off overseas, and they were as distant as she only ever once were to Jin when they had broken up long, long ago.

_You told me not to get on your motorcycle, and I didn't listen... _

_It's completely my fault little Erik is gone. My baby is gone and it's all my fault..._

She briefly got lost in her thoughts of the past, but then looked back at Jin and Xiaoyu as they walked off, and saw Xiaoyu turning around briefly to look at Sarah, a worried frown on her face.

_Jin hates me for what I did..._

Tougou seemed to not want to pry or meddle in her business, so he respectfully waited before asking Sarah if she was ready to go back inside.

"I can walk back by myself, Tougou-san, thank you," she said and assured him yet again when he asked if she was sure about heading back alone. He insisted on at least walking her back off the base, and so he did.

Once inside the hallway, Sarah slowly sat down on the red, carpeted floor and stared at one of the many dimly lit lanterns that were hanging every two metres along the walls. She put her hands on her flat belly and looked down at it. Many thoughts circled through her mind, and she felt like she couldn't sort them out, couldn't prioritise and deal with one thing at a time.

_My baby... I'm so sorry..._

_Forgive me..._

She pulled her legs up and hugged her knees and sighed heavily; what was she supposed to do when Lars was gone and dealing with Jin's issues in Scandinavia? How could Jin do this to her, no matter how invaluable Lars was to him? He knew Lars just lost a child, and that Lars was still piecing his life back together what with his amnesia. What could be more important than letting him heal?

_Is Jin doing this deliberately? Why would he though? Would he really want to hurt me like this? _

_He used to be so understanding, but now..._

Everything about the situation frustrated her to no end, and his cold treatment was making her sad and angry. She felt drained and upset, and what happened a short while before at the base didn't help things. Sarah got up and decided to confront him about it once and for all, so she made her way to his office, a concerned but upset look on her face.

When she had reached his office, she looked at his name plate for a while before entering, and sighed inwardly. His cold words minutes ago flooded her mindset again, and she disregarded knocking before entering, and just walked right in.

As soon as she walked in she stopped and slammed the door shut behind her with one swift move without turning around to do so, one hand on her aching belly and as upset as she had ever been.

"We need to talk _right now_, Jin," she said loudly and pointed a finger at him with her free hand. He was surprised to see her walk in so enraged, and forgetting to knock at that.

_Probably didn't even care to._

"And don't give me any crap about formalities or manners or whatever the hell it is you're gonna say next. I've had it! We're dealing with this right here, right now." Her feelings just exploded into one word after the other, not allowing Jin to utter anything as he stood there watching her little scene.

"I'm busy right now-" He started but was swiftly interrupted.

"I don't care! _I do not care!_" Her cheeks were vaguely flushed and her voice was shaky but loud; Sarah looked too upset for Jin's liking.

"I hate it! I hate the way you treat me! Enough with the cold shoulder and indifferent looks! I have never in my life felt so much guilt, so much depression and such loneliness, and there you are judging me, resenting me. Stop doing it passively and just hit me with all you've got! If you have something to say, say it to my face! Here I am! Just say it! _Say it!_" Jin had never seen her so angry before in his life, her emotions flying in all directions. She quickly wiped her tears with the back of her hand and continued.

"You think that's it?! That you can just-" she stopped mid-sentence when she saw Jin reflexively glance past her and to his left, and she suddenly felt another presence in the room. Looking to her right, she saw Lars Alexandersson standing there behind another desk, eyes wide open. He looked shocked and confused.

Sarah jumped with surprise, gasping with fright at the sight of Lars in the room.

"_Lars_... I... didn't see you... how long have you been standing there?" She asked him, stuttering nervously, cheeks flushed.

"Since before you marched in here. As I was trying to tell you, I'm busy with Lars at the moment, so please come back later and we can talk then." His tone of voice was still indifferent yet cold, his face expressionless as he stared at her.

"Sweetheart, what is going on? And why are you half naked?" Lars walked up to her and gently rubbed her shoulders as he fixed her robe and re-tied it, his sharp blue eyes looking for answers in her brown ones. She loved how concerned he always was for her well being.

_God, he couldn't look more dashing if he tried..._

"You're cold..." His gentle voice melted her heart, but when he embraced her tightly right then and there her knees almost gave way. His warmth and love was all she wanted. It was all she needed.

_He smells so good..._

For a brief couple of seconds she was lost in her own little world, in the arms of the man she loved more than anything. Lars' soothing voice snapped her back to reality too soon for her liking, and she managed to utter a few words.

"Lars... I didn't know you were here, I just needed to-" he gently hushed her while he rubbed her back. Pulling back he put his hands on her belly and asked her if she was okay, and she gave him a semi-hesitant nod of assent.

"You're upset... are you going to be alright?" Lars asked her, even as he shot Jin a sharp look before gazing back at Sarah again. If Jin did not know better, he would have guessed it was accusatory. When Lars saw tears welling up in her eyes, and how she looked away to avoid embarrassment, his heart nearly broke and he turned to Jin.

"I'll walk her back to her room." Jin barely even nodded as he stared at Sarah, and Lars grabbed her hand and interlocked their fingers, earning a vague but genuine smile from Sarah as she lowered her gaze to their intertwined hands. However, she just as quickly stopped when Lars began leading her out of the office.

"I'm not through with you. You won't do this! I won't _let you!_" Sarah suddenly blurted and looked back at Jin Kazama. The dark-haired owner of the Zaibatsu looked up from the sheets of paper on his desk which he was rifling through and stared at her.

"_I won't let you!_" She screamed even as she ran up and pushed him back by his chest with all the strength she could muster.

"What is going on between you two?" Lars briskly walked up to her and held her back; he had no clue what was going on between Jin and Sarah and couldn't make sense of her being as upset as she was. He didn't like it either, as it was going to affect her already fragile health, and she needed to rest after what she had been through what with losing the baby.

"He's... he's sending you off to Scandinavia is what! Ask him why he's doing this! He knows we just lost a child and we need eachother! He knows you almost became a father, and that you're my husband and that we need to heal! I nearly died along with my baby and he's still sending you off overseas? I don't understand him! It doesn't make sense! _What is wrong with you, Jin?! What has happend to you?!_" She barely took a breath inbetween her sentences, a lump forming in her throat but her eyes radiating with anger.

Lars looked at Jin with bright eyes full of emotions, and then down at the floor, now understanding what was going on between them; Xiaoyu had told him that Jin and Sarah had been getting into fights and arguments the past few weeks, but she did not know why as Jin refused to talk about it every time she brought it up. Now it all made sense to him.

Lars understood Jin's reasoning as to why Lars, specifically, had to go to Scandinavia, but it saddened him greatly that it was so important for him to go now, when his wife needed him more than ever, and him her.

_I need her more than ever myself... I've had so many memories come back to me now, all I want to do is be with her and make up for lost time. _

_That... and to heal._

"Sarah, it's okay, we'll make it work somehow. Please, try not to get so upset-" Lars was yet again interruped.

"No, it's _not_ okay! It's not! How can you say that? I need you! I thought he would be more understanding, but alas! I need you now more than ever, Lars... please, you don't have to go. You don't." She hugged him and buried her face in his strong shoulder and quietly started crying, her head shaking against his shoulder and trying her best to stop crying, but to no avail.

"Sweetheart..." Lars held her close and stole a glance from Jin, worried and sad for what she was going through, for he felt the same. Jin looked away and felt awkward, secretly hurting for what he was putting them through, but he was extra careful not to show it, and took a seat at his desk.

The tall, blond Swede whispered in her ear that he should take her back to her room, in which she nodded and pulled away, letting Lars wipe away her tears with his thumbs as he cupped her face. Gazing into her eyes in silence, he shot her the most handsome smile she had ever seen, and kissed her on her forehead. She felt her cheeks going beat red as she sobbed, mesmerized by his amazing smile and looked away with embarrassment. He took her small hand in his, and led her out of the office and made his way through the cool hallway, taking her back to her room.

"Gå inte. Snälla," [1] she said to him in Swedish, asking him not to leave Japan, to stay with her. They stopped in her dimly-lit bedroom and he helped tuck her into her queen-sized bed after which he sat on the edge next to where she was lying. Lars sighed as he smiled down at her, stroking her dark brown bangs away from her delicate face.

"You know there's nobody else that can go, darling... I have to do this, and I'll be back before you know it, you'll see." She put her hand on his and he stopped stroking her cheek; Sarah interlocked her fingers with his and kept his hand gently pressed against her face, looking straight into his gorgeous blue eyes.

"It could be months, you realise that, don't you? And you don't _have_ to do this! Just say no... tell him no." He could see how desperate she was for him to stay, and it pained him even more. He sighed again, nearly feeling emotional; he had no idea, really, when he would be back again, and he knew that she knew that.

"Lars... I'm sorry..." Her voice almost trailed off into silence at the end, and he tipped his head to the side and gave her an earnest look.

"... the baby, it was my fault, all my fault and I... I'll never forgive myself... you deserve better than me. You deserve better than this..." She was brave enough to look into his eyes as she spoke, seeking more forgiveness yet again, even though she had gotten it time and again from the man she so loved; she knew it was, more than anything, a way for her to try and forgive herself, but it was too soon and it was tearing her apart inside. She couldn't understand why Lars was being so loving and forgiving considering what had happened.

"You know I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, right? Promise me you'll never forget that." Lars said with the gentlest, most sincere tone of voice, and it made Sarah so emotional she burst out crying full on.

"Alright, come here... it's okay, I got you... seså, gråt inte älskling, allt kommer att ordna sig ska du se." [2] The Swedish officer gave her comforting words as he pulled her up into his arms and held her as tightly as he could without crushing her delicate frame.

"Jag lovar..." [3] She said inbetween sobs and promised him like he asked. He smiled at that and squeezed her harder, burying his face in her neck and kissing her there. Running her fingers through his blond hair, she prompted him to continue as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of his warm lips against her neck.

"Lars..." she said, but it was all she managed to utter in between soft moans, loving how her husband remembered all her soft spots that always turned her on.

_Sometimes I still can't believe you're actually my husband... that you're mine, mine alone..._

Slowly pulling her robe down her shoulders, he trailed his kisses down her right shoulder and then back up to her neck again and slowly and seductively nibbled on her earlobe while gently trailing his fingers down her half exposed torso, untying her robe. Sarah moaned even louder this time and felt her whole body tingle with lust. She hadn't been this close to Lars for so long now, a kiss on the neck exciting her more than she had ever longed for a man's touch.

She gently rubbed his chest with the palms of her hands and immediately pulled his handsome face in for a kiss even as he untied her robe and exposed her round, perky breasts. Lars pulled away and gracefully trailed his fingers along the scars on her stomach, staring intently, carefully. Sarah watched him space out into his own little world yet again, the way he would from time to time ever since she was in the motorcycle accident, a single tear finding its way down his strong cheek; a tear of bittersweet memories, and past hope of what could have been.

_I'll never forget..._

Lars had taken a harder blow than Sarah when they had lost their baby, something that surprised her. The piercing scream and streaming tears that escaped Lars when he finally cried in her arms nearly paralyzed her; seeing him so broken and weak for the first time in her life had broken her heart into a million pieces and twisted her soul through and through. It was all she could do to comfort him, let alone herself, holding him close until dawn and taking him far away from the Zaibatsu to recover and clear his thoughts for a while.

"Jag älskar dig,"[4] she said and pulled his chin up to look into his crystal blue eyes. Staring into his eyes, she always saw comfort and sincerity, love and passion.

_Honesty and loyalty_

Lars looked into her eyes, as serious as ever, his strong arms suddenly pulling her in by her bare waist for a deep kiss. She could smell the vague scent of his cologne as he did so, and it always made her go crazy, as it did now more than ever. Sarah put her arms around his neck, kissing him with more love than she had ever felt in her entire body, and continued to pull him down until he was ontop of her. Barely stopping for air, she unbuttoned his shirt as he took it off, and moved on to unbutton his pants. Pulling away he gently trailed kisses all over her body, noticing the tears that streamed down her porcelain skin, understanding her emotions through and through.

_You're so beautiful_

Silky white sheets caressed their bodies like waves in the ocean, his warm, strong body sending tingling jolts of emotions throughout her body with every touch, every caress, every embrace. Her fast breathing and occasional moans excited him even more, and soon he was inside of her and nothing in the world had ever felt more right than this very moment; he was so full of passion and love, it was like gracefully crashing waves on the most beautiful day, and she loved every second, every minute of it.

_Never stop loving me..._

___Never stop_

* * *

_I'll sing it one last time for you_

_Then we really have to go_

_You've been the only thing that's right_

_In all I've done._

_To think I might not see those eyes_

_Makes it hard not to cry_

_And as we say our long goodbyes_

_I nearly do. __[5]_

* * *

**Notes:**

[1] - Gå inte. Snälla. - _Don't go. Please._

[2] - Seså, gråt inte älskling, allt kommer att ordna sig ska du se - _There now, don't cry sweetheart, everything is going to be alright, you'll see_

[3] - Jag lovar - _I promise_

[4] - Jag älskar dig - _I love you_

[5] - Lyrics from Leona Lewis' song "Run"


	18. Chapter 18

**Falling Into Love**

_By: T-Drift_

* * *

**Chapter 18**

Sarah Amber Alexandersson woke up next to her sleeping husband, the blond Swede breathing steadily and quietly, his strong and defined arm holding her close to him from behind. Bright rays of sunlight shone in through the slightly open window, past the leaves of a big plant and scattering across the cosy bedroom.

She stayed the way she woke up for a short while, smiling at the way her husband had passionately made love to her the night before; the memory was so vivid in her mind she could still feel his soft touch, his warm, soft lips against every inch of her body. She could still see his shining blue eyes, feel his weight pressed against her - dominating and encompassing. The brunette gently brushed a finger on her lips and closed her eyes, reliving the night in her mind as she smiled contentedly.

Sarah felt Lars breathing behind her, his strong arm still wrapped around her waist, his face buried in the back of her neck, still as ever as she looked at the clock on the bedside table next to her; it was still very early in the morning. Gently but fluently, she turned around in bed to face the handsome young man next to her; carefully placing his wrapped arm more tightly around her, she smiled yet again as she brushed his blond bangs away from his face.

_You look so much like your mother, Lars..._

The realisation made her heart skip a beat, and she loved seeing him sleeping so soundly, looking so innocent and vulnerable - a side of Lars nobody else got to see but her. She felt priviledged, and blessed, butterflies dancing in her stomach.

_You're too good to be true, Lars Alexandersson._

She gently ran her fingers along his well-defined arm, like light feathers, playful and teasing. A satisfied noise escaped her delicate throat, and just as she looked up her brown eyes met steel blue ones, and she gasped internally.

_Such gorgeous blue eyes..._

She marvelled at his eyes, feeling like she was looking into a deep blue ocean, full of surprises and adventures. Then she saw his smile and her heart melted on the spot.

"Good morn-" a passionate kiss interrupted her cheerful greeting, the blond officer rolling ontop of her without breaking off the kiss. Wrapping her bare legs around his strong body, sheets wrapped around them in all directions, Sarah chuckled as Lars broke off the kiss and smiled at her. She cupped his face in her hands and smiled back at him.

"Godmorgon," [1] Lars said with the sexiest tone of voice she had ever heard him speak with. Sarah's smile widened even more and she lightly brushed her fingers on his soft lips, earning a kiss on each one as she did so.

"Sleep well?" She asked humbly, and his gaze never left hers, his smile never fading.

"What do _you_ think?" He replied and grinned as he watched her cheeks turn red.

"You sir, are a very naughty officer and that behaviour will not go unpunished." She said playfully with a semi-serious tone, wagging her index finger at him as she spoke. Lars grinned even more and chuckled at her cute playfulness.

"You know what I think, hmm?" He said with a gentle tone of voice as he took her small hand in his and kissed her finger.

"I think you like your officer just the way he is..." He leaned in and gave her a peck on her lips, teasing her, his body pressing down on hers even more as he did so; Sarah felt her blood rush through her whole body, his words foreplay compared to his sensual actions, the sudden nudge from his strong body arousing her in an instant.

"Lars Erik Alexandersson! Another round already? You're such a_ lion_." She said and grinned at how smexy he was, wanting to make love to him all day if she could. Lars chuckled and looked at the clock, sighing faintly as he rested his head on her chest.

"I wish...," he said with a hint of disappointment in his voice, resting the palms of his hands around her torso.

"Aw, what's the matter, babe? Work? At this hour?" She sighed inwardly, knowing what the answer was going to be and wished for the opposite.

"Mmm and not really up for it..." He murmured and trailed off as he closed his eyes, head still resting on her chest, breathing steadily yet again.

_Oh, darling... you must be so exhausted from everything that's happened these past few days._

Sarah stroked his straight, blond hair and let him lie there in peaceful silence for a while, refusing to disturb the tranquil aura she could have sworn was radiating off of him. The thought of him being in Scandinavia soon and so far away from her crept into her mind unwillingly, and she instinctively embraced Lars as tight as she could, kissing his head and forcing herself not to get teary.

_Soon this bed will be cold and lonely where you should be lying... _

_Next to me..._

Not realising she was sighing so much with every thought, she saw that Lars had turned his head to look at her, an inquisitive look on his face.

"What's the matter, gorgeous?" He shifted his position and held up his torso with his strong arms. His steel blue eyes seemed to gaze right into her soul.

"Nothing... just feeling blue," she replied and attempted a smile as she trailed her fingers down his bare chest.

"I don't want you to feel blue, I want you to be happy." He leaned in and kissed her forehead, gently but playfully rubbing the tip of his nose against hers, and they both smiled.

"You make me happy." The brunette drew circles and squares on his chest with her finger, trying to collect her thoughts and wouldn't look him in the eyes.

"I just hate to see you leave Japan... and I don't know how I'm going to deal with it. I'm scared that..." She trailed off and sighed.

"What are you scared of, sweetheart?" Lars shifted himself to lie next to her, putting one arm on her belly, rubbing it gently.

"What if something happens and you never come back to me? And, you're leaving me here all alone to deal with Jin. He hates me, I know he does, and I know why, and I don't know how to deal with it. I just don't know how to deal with anything anymore..." She looked sad, her innocent happiness moments ago suddenly washed away and replaced with worry and anxiety.

"You've always been my one constant thing; with you there's always order when I only see chaos. And I need that. I need you, to get through this, and now that you won't be here, I don't know how I'm going to survive this alone." She looked up into his eyes and he leaned down and kissed her deeply. She reached for more but he slowly broke it off.

"Don't fight with Jin. Behave while I'm gone." He smiled at her and she playfully hit him on his shoulder for being silly when she was being serious.

"Really though, he doesn't hate you. I'm sure he just needs time after everything that's happened. He loves you, you know that..." Stroking her cheek, he could see the worried expression on her face relax a little at his reassuring words.

"If he loves me, he's doing a really bad job of showing it..." She remembered all the cold and indifferent stares Jin had shot her these past few weeks, and shivered briefly.

"You two just need to talk. Calmly. No shouting, _or_ hitting," he said and stopped, emphasising his last word.

"Who hits?" She said, gesturing with her hands and stretched them out to opposing sides and meeting his gaze.

"_Sarah_," he said with a playful tone, raising an eyebrow and quickly touching the tip of her nose with his index finger.

"Fine I won't hit anyone. He just makes me so angry sometimes! He's been so inconsiderate lately, so cold toward me and it hurts." She rolled to her left and into his arms, sighing into his neck as she put a leg up ontop of his'.

_I used to be your world, Jin..._

"Everything will be alright again once you have a long talk, okay? Trust me." He gave her another passionate kiss, pulling her close by her small waist and pressing her against him as he did so. Sarah moaned and wanted more, but he pulled away and gave her an apologetic look.

"Sorry babe, duty calls. Gotta get a move on now." He ruffled her hair gently and chuckled at her adorable giggle at his action. He quickly grabbed her hand and kissed it, got out of bed and walked into the shower; Sarah watched his retreating body all the way into the bathroom, admiring every inch of him. She grinned and resisted the urge to join him in the shower, knowing he quickly had to leave for work.

Decidedly, she got up and washed her face, brushed her teeth and got dressed while Lars finished up in the bathroom. She watched herself in the mirror, wearing tight, acid-wash jeans, a dark grey tanktop and a short, black blazer. Putting on her low, black and pointy pumps and fixing her hair, she saw Lars come out of the bathroom all dressed and finished; even his hair was all done up.

"Goodness, you're fast," she said and smiled at him, smelling soap and shampoo in the humid air that escaped the shower. He smiled back and kissed her on the lips, hands on her waist.

"You look gorgeous. So what are you getting up to today?" He said and walked up to the bed to grab his cell phone; he checked his messages while she spoke.

"Oh I don't know, probably hang out with the girls a bit, maybe sign up for some self defence classes. I've been meaning to do that for a while now." Lars looked up from his phone and smiled at her even as he pocketed his mobile.

"Sounds great. I'll see you later today I hope, otherwise tomorrow if they keep me up all night." He gave her a kiss on the cheek, but she put a hand to his face and kissed his lips one more time. It made him smile and he gave her one last peck as they broke off the kiss.

"Alright, off you go!" She said and pinched his butt as he turned around; when he laughed she giggled and went to find her purse and walked out of the room with him. She would walk a short distance down the hallway with him, and then they would go separate ways as he was meeting up with Tougou before breakfast, and she was going to the café to hopefully meet some of her friends.

As they were walking and chatting happily along the way, they suddenly heard a a male voice not too far away.

"'Sup, viking! Leading Sweden into war soon, eh? Make sure not to blow it off the map." Hwoarang's loud and playful voice piped up a few metres down the hallway, and Lars smirked at the Korean's comment; the redhead loved teasing anybody and everybody in sight, and except for Jin who was always his primary target, Hwoarang loved being witty to the Swede. To a stranger it might have always seemed like Hwoarang was picking a fight or being disrepectful, but she knew he respected and liked Lars like a brother.

"How about you come with me and I'll send you in first," Lars retorted and stopped in front of Hwoarang. The redhead smirked back.

"Ha! They would all bow down to me." Hwoarang crossed his arms and his eyes finally settled on Sarah who was standing next to Lars.

"Oh and, don't you worry about your gorgeous little missy here! We'll take good care of her while you're gone," he said and winked at Sarah, but Lars wasn't worried about Hwoarang in the slightest.

"I'm sure she can take care of herself, but thanks. Touch her and missiles will be heading _your_ way, not Europe. Now move." Lars smirked at Hwoarang, his face only two inches away from the Korean's.

"Haha yessir!" Hwoarang said sarcastically as he nodded, his hand gesturing a military wave of respect at the Swedish officer.

"Seriously though, good luck over there. Come back in one piece will ya? Or I'll have to find someone else to bother, and we don't want that 'cause I'd get bored right away. And we all know what happens when I get bored." Hwoarang held out his right hand to shake Lars', and Lars' hand dominantly grabbed Hwoarang's in a handshake, his strong grip on one hand brotherly, and on the other hinting to leave Sarah alone or suffer the consequences.

"Yeah, I can think of a thing or two..." Lars said and deliberately cleared his throat as he shifted his gaze to Sarah and then back to Hwoarang.

"Funny," the redhead retorted and his semi-smile was gone just as fast as it came. Sarah rolled her eyes, but quietly giggled at Lars' remark.

"I'll see you later, Sarah," he said to his wife and kissed her forehead as he smiled at her. She hugged him and he walked off and took a turn at the end of the hallway, leaving Sarah with Hwoarang.

"You doing okay, Sass?" he genuinely asked out of nowhere; Hwoarang could be very caring about people when he wanted to be, though he never showed it very often to the public, and she smiled at him for it.

"Hanging in there, thanks. How about yourself?" Hwoarang put his hands in his pockets and seemed to be thinking; he was wearing black pants and a grey jumper with a V-shaped neckline, sleeves slightly pulled up. His left wrist had a couple of woven and rubber bracelets of different colours and meanings, but one of them was in silver which Julia had given him on his birthday. Sarah liked how it was engraved with a Native American saying as it was philosophical and had meaning.

"Yeah not too shabby. Hey um, I want to do something nice for Jules, and I thought of dinner at that restaurant up on the mountains, you know? Except, I was thinking outside on the terrace. They've got heaters there so I'm not worried about it being a bit chilly. But I need a woman's opinion that isn't Jules', since it's a surprise." Sarah hadn't expected him to confide in her of all people, but was happy to help and thought the gesture was adorable.

"She is going to love it, Hwoarang! Positive!" She excalimed with excitement and smiled wholeheartedly.

"Really?! Mean. Doing it then." He looked satisfied and smirked to himself, seemingly lost in his own thoughts for a moment.

"Speaking of Jules, have you seen her yet? I thought I might catch some breakfast with the girls." Hwoarang walked up to her and put an arm around her shoulder.

"You're in luck Mrs. Alexandersson! We're all meeting up and having breakfast together! Come on," he said and prompted Sarah to walk with him.

"'All' as in...?" She asked and let him lead the way.

"Myself and Jules, of course, Xiao, Steve and Asuka. Just the gang. You in?" Sarah stopped and smiled faintly as she looked in the direction of Jin's office, which was down the opposite hallway.

"Sure, I'll be down at the café in a few minutes. I just have to deal with something first, so you go on ahead and I'll meet you guys there. Order me a hot chocolate." They said their OK's and Hwoarang walked off toward the cafeteria, leaving Sarah all alone in the hallway. She sighed and thought for a while.

_Should I see him now, or later...?_

She walked up to his office while she was deciding, feeling the adrenaline throughout her body. As she reached the familiar door, she saw it was ajar and could see Jin in the distance, sitting on the couch, head pulled back and resting, one hand on his forehead and fingers buried in his jet black hair. She stood there watching him for a minute, admiring his handsome looks, not worrying that he might notice her as she could see that his eyes were closed.

She had never seen him in an off-white jumper before, let alone in blue jeans, dressed so casually, and she thought they looked really good on him. She quickly slapped herself mentally for how her thoughts slowly but surely turned inappropriate - she used to blame her memories of their past relationship, and how she never really got over him, whenever she would have those thoughts, but she reminded herself of how she really needed to stop swooning, because she was happily married and loved her husband.

_Bah focus you idiot!_

She quietly walked inside, not closing the door behind her as she walked up to the owner of the Zaibatsu; the floor was carpeted so she didn't make a lot of noise, but the room was very silent, and she knew he would turn his head toward the noise soon enough.

Sure enough, Jin swiftly moved his head toward the door and saw Sarah walking in, watching her from top to bottom as she stopped in her tracks to look at him. She looked nervous, a humble look on her pretty face, as if she was silently asking for his permission to come closer.

"_Jin-chai..._" Sarah's voice was barely audible, and she could see he was surprised to see her, a blank look on his face telling her he didn't know what to say or do.

"... can I come in?" She thought she sounded nervous, but she didn't care, because she had decided to just go with the flow and see where this would lead her. Jin merely stared at her for a couple of seconds, and then cleared his throat and looked away before he spoke.

"Sure...," he said and looked at her again, his hazel brown eyes following her every move as she took a seat next to him on the couch. Silence ensued and she could feel her heart hammering against her ribcage, nervous and nearly shaking. Sarah looked down at her fingers as she toyed with her purse strap, and gently cleared her throat. She could feel his eyes on her; his head was facing her and resting on his raised fist, elbow dug into the armrest.

"Remember... remember the day you first introduced Lars and I to eachother? After that whole misunderstanding in the hallway, and later you and I sat in this very couch, and I asked you about him?" She started, remembering the day clearly, amused at how things had turned out since then. Jin Kazama didn't say anything, so she kept talking, feeling the full force of his gaze as she did so.

"I asked you if he knew any Swedish, and if he was an asset to you, and you told me he was the best you had, and that you were close friends." She continued and stopped to take a deep breath, but exhaled silently.

"I forgot how important he is to you. I forgot how much you care about him, and that he's the best you have, so of course you'd want him to lead in Scandinavia for a while..." Her words surprised him more and more as she went on, but he remained composed and silent.

"I understand where you're coming from, and I... I'm sorry for being so insensitive and rude... I know you know what you're doing, and I was being selfish telling you time and again not to send him off to do his job." Sarah's voice started to shake a little, and she swallowed hard when she felt a lump form in her throat.

"I know you hate me for being the reason Lars and I lost the baby, and I deserve it... I do, and so... I hope one day you can forgive me..." Her voice started breaking and she swallowed once again, her eyes tearing up but barely visible to Jin as he only saw her from the side.

"_Please forgive me..._" She trailed off almost whispering as she covered her face in her hands and cried, and it broke his heart. She felt so weak and embarrassed crying in his presence like she was, but she couldn't stop it no matter how hard she tried. She didn't really care anymore and cried her heart out right then and there.

Without saying a word still, Sarah felt Jin's strong arms tightly embracing her, pulling her in as close as he could; she cried against his shoulder, louder than she could control, feeling overwhelmed. Jin stroked her hair and embraced her even tighter.

"_Nini..._" The word that escaped him melted her heart; she hadn't heard that nickname for so long, and for a brief second she longed for the past, feeling nostalgic and daunted. She nuzzled closer to his neck, her arms reaching to hug it, and so they did and she hugged him with all her might. He rubbed her arms and back as gently as ever, and she loved his caring touch.

"_I could never hate you..._," he whispered in her ear, and she could feel his breath against her ear, tickling her and sending faint jolts throughout her delicate frame as she closed her eyes. Sobbing a little before she calmed down, she opened her eyes even as she pulled away to face him. Her face was barely an inch away from his, her nose almost touching his.

Jin and Sarah stared at eachother intently - her hands on his chest, his around her waist. She didn't know what was happening, and neither did he, but both were mesmerised in silence, their gazes locked and untouchable. Her eyes were glassy from tears, her lips red and slightly swollen; Jin's eyes swiftly moved down her face and up again within a mere second, staring back into her dark brown eyes. It didn't even occur to her they were as close as they were, a blush dusting her cheeks, but her mind was elsewhere, and she was unaware and overwhelmed.

"_Jin, I-_" and before she knew it his lips were softly pressed against hers, kissing her without a care in the world, without a single ounce of concern for the consequences. Her head had pushed slightly backward as he had leaned in to kiss her, and as her eyes widened in shock, and her mind screaming at her to pull away, every inch of her body told her otherwise and she reflexively closed her eyes upon him leaning even further in and deepening the kiss.

Memories of their time together as a couple flooded her mind and she felt paralyzed, everything happening beyond her control. But her lips were still moving with his, reciprocating every one of his kisses with lust, and she felt really guilty but on cloud 9 all at the same time; she felt confused but on an unexplainable high.

_Jin Kazama..._

_..._

"Yeah, I'll see you shortly," Lars spoke into his mobile and ended the call, even as he reached the room he was looking for. As he stood there in the hallway, unaware of the already half open door, the blond Swede stood there for a while as he looked down at his phone and replied to a text sent by his friend and lieutenant, Tougou.

When he finished writing his message and hit the 'Send' button on his phone, he reflexively looked up only to see the door half open, and two people kissing on the couch in the distance. Lars' steel blue eyes widened in shock in an instant, and he dropped his phone onto the carpeted floor in the hallway.

Crushed.

Frozen.

* * *

_I'd rather spend my life motionless with you,_

_than dancing with another. _

_I will never leave your side. [2]_

* * *

**Notes:**

[1] - Godmorgon - _Good morning_

[2] - Lyrics from Leona Lewis' song "Stop the clocks"


End file.
